Sport pilot 81 may 2018

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RECREATIONAL AVIATION AUSTRALIA / MAY 2018 VOL 81 [5]

SIERRA P2002 MARK 2 NEW HIGH WATER MARK FOR TECNAM

RRP $8.80 inc GST

MYSTERY OF THE MISSING BEATS AIRVENTURE FOR CESSNOCK

WATCH OUT FOR WASPS


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ON THE COVER 14 The Tecnam P2002 Mark 2 “ A top of the line aeroplane with all the bells and whistles and none of the government oversight” Photo: Karin Middleton

REGULARS

NEWS

COLUMNISTS

FEATURES

07 09 11 66

Chairman’s report Calendar of events Letters to the Editor Happy Landings

32 Editors choice B RI A N B I G G 37 Pilot talk T HE O P S D EP T 46 Professor Avius 48 Right seat anecdotes DAV ID P E Y RE 49 Learn to fly M A R T IN C A ST IL L A 55 Home builder DAV E ED M U ND S

12 13 13 13

AirVenture comes to Cessnock PDPs proving popular Record field for scholarships New East Sale corridor

14 A new high water mark for Tecnam B RI A N B I G G 28 Watch out for wasps A L A N B E T T ERID G E 39 The mystery of the missing beats RO B KNI G H T

FLY-INS

18 Eight eighths perfect for Holbrook J O HN H A RL E Y

READERS’ STORIES 22 42 4 4 51

Fly doc 845 RI C H A RD TAU B M A N Kingston celebrates two 50s PE T ER B ROWNE Catching up with buddies M A R T IN C A ST IL L A Resurrecting the Sonerai LU KE B AY LY

EXTRAS

3 4 Poster Opportunity Pretty and powerful RI C H A RD WO O L FO RD 37 Digital directions 56 Aviation Classifieds 6 4 Where is CAGIT? 6 5 Quiz

28 Sport Pilot Magazine is an official publication of Recreational Aviation Australia Ltd and is published twelve times a year by Stampils Publishing. EDITOR Brian Bigg editor@sportpilot.net.au All enquiries 1300 838 416

22

ADVERTISING SALES editor@sportpilot.net.au MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS Non-member annual subscription rates - postage included are available by contacting Recreational Aviation Australia Ltd, Po Box 1265, Fyshwick A.C.T 2609. (02) 6280 4700 or admin@raa.asn.au. 3 / SPORT PILOT


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DIRECTORS

NATIONAL FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION MANAGER

Michael Linke ceo@raa.asn.au

NATIONAL OPERATIONS MANAGER

AVIATIO RECREATIONAL

N AUSTRALIA

81 / MAY 2018 VOL

[5]

RECREATIONAL

AVIATION AUSTRAL

IA / MAY 2018 VOL 81

Tony King 0400 226 275 Tony.King@raa.asn.au

ASSISTANT OPERATIONS MANAGER

Alan Middleton 0407 356 948 alan.middleton@raa.asn.au

RRP $8.80 inc GST

SI ER R A P2 002 M AR K 2 NE W HIGHWA S WATCH OUT FOR WASP

FOR TE CN AM

Eugene Reid 0428 824 700 Eugine.Reid@raa.asn.au

Darren Barnfield techmgr@raa.asn.au 0417 942 977

ER NE W HIGHWAT AM CN TE R FO

E FOR CESSNOCK BEATS AIRVENTUR

Trevor Bange 0429 378 370 Trevor.Bange@raa.asn.au

NATIONAL TECHNICAL MANAGER

[5]

MARK 2 S IE R R A P 2 0 02M ARK

ING MYSTERY OF THE MISS

Jill Bailey ops@raa.asn.au 0400 280 087

Neil Schaefer ops@raa.asn.au 0428 282 870

iPad

TE R MA RK

Michael Monck (Chairman) 0419 244 794 Michael.Monck@raa.asn.au

Rod Birrell (03) 9744 1305 Rod.Birrell@raa.asn.au

ASSISTANT TECHNICAL MANAGER

Jared Smith jared.smith@raa.asn.au RE0418 CREATIO 125 NA393 L AVIATION AU

Luke Bayly 0421 463 967 STRALIA / FEBR UARY 2016 VOL 54 Luke.bayly@raa.asn.au [2]

RRP $8.80 inc GST

MYSTERY OF THE MISSIN G

BEATS AIRVENTURE FOR CESSNOCK

WATCH OUT FOR WASPS

FIND YOUR NEAREST FLIGHT SCHOOL OR CLUB www.raa.asn.au/schools

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All content in this magazine belongs to Stampils Publishing and is protected by Australian and international copyright and other intellectual property laws. You may not do anything which interferes with or breaches those laws or the intellectual property rights in the content. All rights not expressly granted under these terms of use are reserved by Stampils Publishing. Unless expressly stated otherwise, you are not permitted to copy, or republish anything you find in the magazine without the copyright or trademark owners’ permission. The magazine title, as well as the associated logo of Recreational Aviation Australia Ltd, are the property of RAAus. However, Stampils Publishing, Daniella Banco of Spank Design and Karin Middleton, of Cachekat, reserve the right to be acknowledged as the magazine’s designers. While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the content of this magazine, no warrant is given or implied. The content is provided to you on condition that you undertake all responsibility for assessing the accuracy of the content and rely on it at your own risk. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of people named in this magazine. Recreational Aviation Australia Ltd and Stampils Publishing reserve the right to decline any article, letter or comment deemed unacceptable for whatever reason. No endorsement or responsibility is implied or accepted for any product advertised in this magazine. Advertisers and buyers are each responsible for ensuring products advertised and/or purchased via this magazine meet all appropriate Australian certification and registration requirements, especially those pertaining to CASA and RAAus. NOTE: All aircraft featured in the magazine are registered and legally permitted to fly. However, photographs of them may be altered without notice for editorial purposes. The Editor’s Choice column is designed to draw attention to potential safety issues through exaggeration and humour and is not meant to be historically accurate. 4 / SPORT PILOT


5 / SPORT PILOT


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6 / SPORT PILOT


CH AIRMAN ’ S REPORT

The right to choose BY MIC HAEL MONC K

I

am writing this month’s column while sitting on a long haul flight. No doubt, like many of our members, I sit on flights and think about what is going on up the front. On this occasion I had the opportunity to talk to the pilots and it occurred to me that they’re no different to the rest of us. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter what we fly. We all share the same passion and are driven by the same motivations. As I was speaking to the First Officer, she remarked that some days she just likes to go flying in the ‘bug smashers’. It turns out that she learned in a Foxbat and Tecnam and worked up from there. It put a smile on my face to hear this. The fact she started her career with RAAus and is now flying for a living in one of the world’s best airlines is a testament to what we have to offer. It is also a testament to aviation in general. I have also recently been to the International AOPA World Assembly and met with our aviation counterparts from around the globe. I have spoken with pilots from New Zealand, the US, Canada, Germany, Austria, Japan and China among others. Again, I see the same shared passion. We are no different from anyone else who loves to fly. We all put our pants on one leg at a time and have more in common than we think. One of the things which resonated with me during the world assembly was that we want to be trusted to make decisions on our own and be treated like adults. The conference was held in Queenstown which is arguably one of the adventure sport capitals of the world. During the warmer months you can ride a luge track, bungee jump, tie yourself to a rope and swing off the side of a hill into a valley, go parasailing or paragliding, ride go karts, go jet skiing on top of the water and below it, hurl yourself down a hill on a mountain bike and countless other things. In winter the adventure doesn’t stop, it continues with jet boat rides, glacier tours and, of course, skiing and snowboarding. As I watched a few of these activities, it struck me that, at no point, did some official check the brakes on the luge, ask for the maintenance record of the bike and so on. It was accepted that some of these activities could be risky and, while things had been done to mitigate those risks, something could still go wrong. People could still get hurt. Having said this, they were free to take the risks they wanted to take. Don’t get me wrong, there were waivers and terms and conditions to consider, but at the end of the day, the decision was made by the individual.

WHY IS AVIATION DIFFERENT?

I am not suggesting for a moment we don’t need checks and balances - we do. Just like a car needs to be roadworthy and the driver needs to be licenced, we need to have some degree of assurance that things are going to go our way. But we also need to accept that we are adults who have made a choice and that sometimes things can go wrong. As an aviator for many years, I have come to realise that no matter what regulation is put in place, the only thing that makes me safe is me. I am the one who makes the call to go flying on each and every occasion. It’s entirely up to me. My passengers are also made aware this is no ordinary operation by virtue of the fact that we have a big red sticker on our panel saying that the aircraft is not maintained to the same standard as the big metal tube that I am sitting on right now. We have accepted this and made a decision to continue. We’re adults. There is, of course, the complication that we are surrounded by people on the ground who are uninformed and we also need to understand that they have not accepted the risk. They didn’t make a choice, they are completely detached from aviation. If something was to go wrong and they were affected, they could hardly be held accountable for our actions and decisions.

So, in that sense, we may need more controls in place. To this end, we have regulations in place about what can and can’t be done over built up areas. This relates to the aircraft itself, in terms of which aircraft are permitted to fly in these places, through to the operations that can be conducted. These are all controls that need to be added to protect a bystander. But they don’t need to be put in place for us. We should be allowed to make our decision because we understand the risk and choose to accept it. It’s not up to anyone else. In some ways it’s like smoking. Smoking causes cancer, there’s good science behind this and it is foolhardy to argue otherwise. The consequences of smoking are clear and the burden on society is equally clear with respect to the costs imposed on the health care system. Warnings, not unlike those that are mandated in our aircraft, are plastered all over the packaging of tobacco products. Ugly pictures of diseased body parts are dominant nowadays and we have television ads showing us the ill effects of smoking. And yet we don’t ever get told we can’t do it. The controls that are in place relate to those who may be negatively influenced by other factors and thus could be considered the equivalent of our uninformed participant. This group is mainly comprised of our youth, those who may be subjected to peer pressure and the like, which may result in sub-optimal decisions. We don’t allow advertising so this group, and others for that matter, can’t be lured in. We have age restrictions in place to prevent them from purchasing. But the remainder of the population is allowed to make their own decision to smoke and get cancer if they so choose. So I can’t help but wonder why it is that I can’t choose a different disease? Why can’t my disease be aviation? Why is it that when it comes to mountain biking, skiing, bungee jumping and smoking, we are allowed to get broken bones, scratches and bruises or even cancer. But when it comes to choosing aviation as a disease, I am no longer allowed? Aviators from around the world demonstrate an ability to exercise good judgement every single day. By way of example, we are subjected to medical standards but we don’t assess ourselves against this set of standards each time we go flying. We make a judgement call. We also make a judgement call on the weather, time pressures and so on. And in the vast majority of cases we make the right decisions. Last year alone RAAus aircraft had 400,000 movements. The majority of these ended without incident. We had a few fatalities, and that is too many. But importantly, it is incredibly rare that someone who was not engaged directly in the activity is hurt. We generally make the right decision. Now this is not to say that I am arguing for a hands-off approach and nor is it suggesting that I don’t care about safety. Every time I go flying, I think about how much I would like to come home to my wife. But more importantly, I think about the hurt that would be felt by her if I didn’t make it back. We all have families, husbands and wives, parents and children who would miss us. It is important to come home to these people who love us. When I boarded my flight today I put my faith in the pilot. I trusted that she would be making the right decisions and I take comfort in knowing that someone is watching over them to make sure she does. She is making choices, indeed the entire airline is making choices, which affect hundreds of people on this plane, most of whom are less informed than me. That deserves a level of attention that is more rigid than in our case. When we make decisions, we are affecting a couple of people and those people are often involved in the decision. We need to be cognisant of the fact that our choices may affect our loved ones and immediate family and friends, but that is not a good reason to not trust us. We should still be afforded the right to choose.

7 / SPORT PILOT


8 / SPORT PILOT


CA LEN D AR OF EVEN TS

A. 5-6 MAY

WINGS OVER ILLAWARRA Solo and formation aerobatic displays, classic warbirds and amazing vintage aircraft. The Australian Defence Force will display loud, fast fighter jets and huge heavy transport aircraft. Also walk among the fully-restored Super Constellation and record-breaking Qantas 747, along with restored WW2 fighters. A new feature this year will be world class freestyle motocross displays throughout the day and a carnival with rides for young and old, all included in the entry price. For more information, www. wingsoverillawarra.com.au.

B. 13 MAY

GATTON AIRPARK BREAKFAST FLY-IN. Hot breakfast from 0730. Everyone welcome. Come and check out the latest developments at the airpark, or simply catch up with friends. Bring your mum. Airfield details in ERSA or phone 0419 368 696.

C. 20 MAY

BAROSSA BIRDMEN FLY-IN At Truro Flats Airpark in South Australia. Limited accommodation, Avgas and Mogas on request. Saturday night dinner. Pilots should be aware of restrictions regarding overflying neighbouring properties and hazards, See ERSA. For more information, Jeff Mackereth 0418 809 840, Roy Phillips 0408 802 667 or royp1948@gmail.com.

D. 9-10 JUNE

F. 6-7 OCTOBER

TEMORA FLYERS VANS RV

TUMUT VALLEY FLY-IN

Temora Flyers will host a fly-in for Vans RV type aircraft. This is a not for profit event. For more information, Frank Lovell 0400 365650 or franklovell.00@gmail. com.

Moved from the last weekend in August. Feature event planned and Saturday dinner. 24/7 fuel. For more information, Rod Blundell 0419 135 249 or secretary@tumutaeroclub.org.au.

B C

E. 8 SEPTEMBER 60TH ANNIVERSARY

Hastings District Flying Club, Port Macquarie, is reaching out to all ex members to provide contact details so they can be informed of the many planned activities of the anniversary celebration. The main event will be a reunion dinner on September 8. For more information, president@hdfc.com.au, Rod Davison 0419 632 477 or www.hdfc.com.au. 9 / SPORT PILOT

E D

F

A


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L E T T ERS TO TH E ED ITOR

ABOUT LEFT AND RIGHT It would be hard for some readers of David Eyre’s article on Dyslexia (Sport Pilot December 2017) to understand there are some who have trouble with instantly telling left and right, if they have not had contact with the affliction in some form. It is very real. They may remember the kid at the back of the classroom who always got everything wrong, while outperforming everyone on the rugby field?

I wondered at the time what equation could have sorted that out. Because I have been very conscious of dyslexia, I developed the habit of asking my students when I first meet them to hold up their right hand. About 20 per cent have to think about it and a few get it wrong. It needs to be sorted out but once I start to talk about it, tension seems to subside and ways of dealing with it can be discussed, not as instructor to student, but person to person. You can’t fix it, but you can both be aware the problem exists and a good attempt can be made to find ways around it. Everyone can work out left and right with time. The occasion will arise though, when you do not have seconds to think about it. Even the chap with tattoos on his hand would have to check them. NAME WITHHELD BY REQUEST

ON STALLS

My father and I both suffered a degree of dyslexia, although back in our school days I don’t think the word existed. You were just called lazy and got a clip over the back of the head or worse. Father always blamed the celtic blood that flowed in our veins. Not sure about that, however it does seem to be a genetic condition. After the hurdle of school was finished, I devised ways to work around my dyslexia, sometimes looking outside the box, which many people with dyslexia do. Now and again with it took a straight out bluff. Any device available was used. The digital calculator changed our lives when it arrived.Dyslexia never seemed to decrease or increase with time, I just developed better ways of dealing with it. I ran a successful business for over 60 years which is still going today. I always wanted to fly, but was not sure I could handle some of the theory work involved, so I turned to gliding, which I have never regretted. I did go on to complete my PPL. I envied those people who found the theory so easy, until the top student in an instructor’s course I was in, landed a two-seat trainer on top of the tug plane.

Rob Knight’s articles on stalls (Sport Pilot February, March and April 2018) are by and large interesting, but there is one significant point he makes which might confuse or lose the unwary reader. He states that within the equation defining lift, that “half air density times by TAS squared” equals IAS, then continues throughout to refer to IAS in his equations. It actually equals dynamic pressure, which is what your airspeed indicator measures and then translates to a speed by comparing it to static pressure. Lift is proportional to the square of TAS and to the square of IAS, it’s just the constants in the equation which change. Elsewhere he maintains that, in a turn, either Angle of Attack or IAS can be increased ‘proportionally’ to avoid the stall. Sort of. In fact, lift has an almost linear relationship to AoA, so double your AoA and you double your lift. But if you were able to double your IAS you would quadruple your lift. This is correctly borne out by Rob’s diagrams on load factors. As pedantic as this may seem, unless pilots truly understand their BAK theory, they will be caught wanting in circumstances like turning onto final when wind speeds are varying by 1015 knots in 30 knot conditions. A safe 60 knot IAS can suddenly become 45 knots, a 25% airspeed reduction translating into a loss of lift of nearly 44%. Likely a near death experience. Truly a sneaky stall just as Rob so worthily describes. PAUL SMITH

Rob replies - I am happy to accept Paul’s criticism, however, I was writing for pilots who don’t have the underpinning knowledge Paul has displayed. The issue I attempted to address is that too many theory articles are used to demonstrate the knowledge of the writer; they lose many of the benefits to the reader because they are pitched too high. I try to present the material in a manner and at a level that will allow someone at home, without an in-depth knowledge of aerodynamics, to read and perhaps, if I am lucky, imagine the factors I am talking about, not just shrug and give up because it is too far advanced to follow. ROB KNIGHT

MORE LADDERS Regarding the story of the flying ladders (Sport Pilot February 2018), here are a couple more ladders. STEVE MCGUIRE

WRITE IN: EDITOR@SPORTPILOT.NET.AU The state of the organisation is reflected in the Letters to the Editor columns. The more letters – the healthier the organisation. So don’t just sit there – get involved. Your contributions are always welcome, even if no one else agrees with your opinion. The Editor makes every effort to run all letters, even if the queue gets long at certain times of the year. (By the way – the Editor reserves the right to edit Letters to the Editor to shorten them to fit the space available, to improve the clarity of the letter or to prevent libel. The opinions and views expressed in the Letters to the Editor are those of the individual writer and neither RA-Aus or Sport Pilot magazine endorses or supports the views expressed within them).

11 / SPORT PILOT


IN TH E N EW S

AIRVENTURE COMES TO CESSNOCK

Australia’s premier event for light sport, recreational and GA enthusiasts will be held at Cessnock Aerodrome this year. AirVenture Australia 2018 will land on September 20 and run through until September 22. David Young from AirVenture Australia said: “The team is very much excited about this year’s event. We have a new venue and new look event designed to please everyone from the keen aviator to the person in the street.” This year’s event will feature two trade days, designed for members of RAAus and other aviation bodies, such as the Australian Parachute Federation, warbirds, sports and amateur built aircraft. In addition to static displays of aircraft, everything associated with maintaining, designing, building, flying, training and teaching will be on show. More than 50 seminars are planned on the Thursday and Friday. The event will culminate in a fantastic airshow on Saturday afternoon.

CEO of Recreational Aviation Australia, Michael Linke said: “AirVenture Australia is exactly what RAAus members are after. Two great days where they can catch up with each other, look at planes, attend seminars and build on their knowledge. Then on the Saturday we can all sit back and enjoy some great aerial displays. AirVenture is the best of both worlds. It’s an event for aviators by aviators.” Cessnock City Council welcomed the announcement. The council is supporting the event, which is expected to attract up to 10,000 people and provide a huge boost to local business. Cessnock City Mayor, Councillor Bob Pynsent said he was pleased AirVenture chose Cessnock to host this exciting event and hopes to see it added to the annual calendar. “We’ve never hosted anything like this before. It will not only attract more visitors to our region, but also be a great experience for local residents.” Exhibitor, sponsorship and display enquiries are now open. Contact RAAus for more information. Tickets include entry to all three days and when bought online are $35 each and $70 per family. As a major partner RAAus members will be able to pre-purchase tickets for $15. Gate prices will be $50 each and $100 per family. For more information, visit www.airventureaustralia.com.au.

12 / SPORT PILOT


IN TH E N EW S

RECORD FIELD FOR SCHOLARSHIPS

PDPS PROVING POPULAR Great feedback is starting to come in from the RAAus Professional Development Program seminars being rolled out across the country. Successful seminars have already taken place in Mildura, Launceston, Lethbridge, Latrobe, Gawler and Aldinga, and others are filling up. The programs are structured to include important information on flight training practices, school management, maintenance and airworthiness, along with introducing staged integrated Safety Management Systems for

flight school operations. Part of each seminar includes a forum. Registration is free. Members can access more information as well as the registration form through the Members’ portal. RAAus encourages all CFIs, instructors, maintainers and members to take advantage of these sessions. If you can’t make the seminar, at least turn up for the BBQ and a chat with the RAAus team (register for catering purposes). Full details at https://members.raa.asn. au/e-learning.

Applications for the 2018 RAAus scholarships have now closed. RAAus reports it received a whopping 83 applications, of which 64 were junior flying applications. The youngest applicant was just 11 years old. The oldest applicant was 63, which just goes to show it is never too early or too late to follow your dreams. 20 submissions came from female applicants, which RAAus described as a ‘great figure’. The selection panel has begun assessing the applicants and an announcement on the winners will be made later in the year. Thank you to Airservices and OzRunways for helping to make the scholarships possible.

PMENT PROGRAM LO VE E D L A N IO S S PROFE NS DATES AND LOCATIO 4-MAY Wagga PDP 16-MAY Calboolture PDP 17-MAY Calboolture PDP

19-MAY Tamworth PDP 14-JUN Bindoon PDP

15-JUN Serpentine PDP 16-JUN Serpentine PDP

27-JUN Townsville PDP 28-JUN Townsville PDP

P 30-JUN Rockhampton PD

D353 CORRIDOR THROUGH EAST SALE

GYFTS Scholarships

RA-Aus is now accepting applications for 2016. Applications open 15 February and will close on 31 March 2016 $50,000 in scholarships on offer For more information, visit the website or contact

admin@raa.asn.au

NEW EAST SALE CORRIDOR Pilots intending to transit East Sale have a new track to follow. The May 28 revision of Airservices publications will see the creation of a new lane of access through the East Sale active restricted area. This will be noted as Danger Area D353. RAAus says pilots intending to take advantage of the changes must read ERSA and associated AIP products before accessing the corridor to ensure they are conversant with the requirements associated with the danger area and surrounding airspace. Where any

doubt exists, pilots are encouraged to contact the airspace administrator via the contact numbers provided in ERSA. Pilots using the corridor should monitor East Sale Approach on frequency 123.3. Pilots should also have the frequency on standby in the event of an emergency which might require them to request access to airspace beyond the limits of the corridor. Pilots should also monitor 126.0 (LTV CTAF) when approaching Heyfield to ensure separation from LTV operations.

13 / SPORT PILOT


A I RC RAFT FEATU RE

P2002 SIERRA MkII (2ND GENERATION)

A new high water mark for Tecnam STORY BY BRIAN BIGG PHOTO S BY K ARIN MIDDLE TON

R

ECREATIONAL aviation is certainly a broad church (to misquote a certain Liberal politician). You have your sub-$20,000 ultralight, which is popular and still a large section of the community. And there are a large number of two seaters firmly in ‘affordable if you don’t want too much fancy stuff in them’ category. Most of us fly one of those. Then there is the growing luxury end of the market, catering to the former airline pilots and successful businessmen in our organisation who want a top-of-the-line aeroplane with all the bells and whistles and none of the government oversight. Its not a big slice of the pie yet, but it’s growing.

The price tags would make the founders’ eyes water but what beautiful aeroplanes you get for your money. The latest of these dream machines to land on our shores is the Tecnam P2002 Sierra Mark 2 – second generation. It’s now 16 years since the original P2002 was launched to great acclaim, particularly in Europe where lots of them have been sold. Tecnam says since the very first sales, it has been asking owners what they would like to see in an upgraded version. The research considered three variables: consumer needs and taste, the aircraft’s life cycle, and the current competition in the market place. From all that research arrived the Mark 2 in April 2017. 14 / SPORT PILOT

The aircraft retains the basic shape and look of the original but it now offers an improved cabin, top level avionics, new paint and interior options and a re-designed cowling. The cabin is larger and interior looks like something out of a BMW. The re-designed canopy provides more headroom and new locking mechanism reduces noise level. The seats have extra adjustment, there is a sleeker engine cowling and the optional avionics would not look out of place in a private jet. Tecnam has designed the Mark 2 around the Rotax 915 iS/iSC 135hp engine, which gives it better climb, higher ceiling, shorter take-off run and higher payload -all the tasty things you get with that new powerplant.


A I RC RAFT FEATU RE

The wing is new too. It is a single spar and full metal torsion box with a tapered laminar aerofoil and slotted flaps. The leading edges are detachable for repairs and the wings incorporate the fuel tanks (110 litres). The horizontal stabilator tail design provides remarkable longitudinal hands-off stability along with minimum drag and weight penalty. This provides balanced two finger flight control. The wide slotted flaps are electrically activated and allow stall speeds lower than 40kts which means the aeroplane can make steep approaches and easier landings. All control surfaces are made out of light alloy and, except for flaps and tab, are mass-balanced. The cabin has newly designed seats and seat

“What beautiful aeroplanes you get for your money�

rails which are operated by a single handle with a reinforced area between the rails to make cabin access easier. In the Mark 1 you normally had to duck your head when the canopy slid shut. But with this one the canopy steps up on rails so it clears your noggin easily. Unlike many ultralights, it has a landing light and wing strobes as standard for those murky dusk landings. A windshield defroster and heating system are also standard and will be welcome in many parts of the country at different times of the year. I quite like the emergency hammer on the standard features list too. I carry one of these 15 / SPORT PILOT

and consider it a valuable safety tool. The avionics will make the difference for a lot of people looking to buy this aircraft. Analog is standard but it will be almost impossible to choose those old things on the huge panel once you have seen the digital, and obviously more expensive, options. There is a beautiful Dynon Skyview option available and the spectacular Garmin G3X. Former airline and GA pilots will be going to the bank manager to fund one of the digital versions for sure. They make the Sierra Mark 2 all but an IFR rated ultralight – which we all know is not allowed under the regulations.


P2002 SIERRA MKII SPECIFICATIONS FUSELAGE HEIGHT

8.56M

WINGSPAN

1.11M

CABIN WIDTH

2 X 55 LT

FUEL TANK CAPACITY

17 LT/H

FUEL CONSUMPTION

600KGS

MTOW

367KGS

EMPTY WEIGHT

233KGS

USEFUL LOAD

20KGS

BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE

120KTS

MAX CRUISE SPEED ER OFF)

POW STALL SPEED (FLAPS DOWN

TAKE-OFF LANDING RATE OF CLIMB RANGE

2.4M 6.74M

FUSELAGE LENGTH

CEILING

A I RC RAFT FEATU RE

40KTS

Bruce Stark

14,000FT 489FT 620FT 930 FT/MIN 642NM

The cabin is more than a metre wide

Taxiing with the canopy open is possible

16 / SPORT PILOT


A I RC RAFT FEATU RE

Garmin G3X panel option

SO WHAT’S IT LIKE TO FLY?

Australian Tecnam distributor, Bruce Stark, made his demonstrator Mark 2 (with a Rotax 912 engine) available to Sport Pilot’s new test pilot recently. Our test pilot has flown a lot of Tecnams and had one word for this aircraft when he stepped out of it. ‘Beautiful’. “Bruce and I are both big guys but there was a lot of room in there. Compared to the Mark 1, it feels wider. The seats are wider, too, and very comfortable. “Like all low wings, and Tecnams are no exception, getting in is always a little awkward, but the new interior makes the journey worth it. The Mark 2 has toe brakes, which the Mark 1 doesn’t, which makes taxiing a breeze. Like the Mark 1, you can taxi with the canopy open, which is perfect in the warmer climes. “The controls are very positive on the ground and take-off is very clean at 55kts (15 degrees of flap). Climb out was as good as the Mark 1. I think the prop was pitched a little finer on this aircraft, which made it a struggle to get to the advertised cruise speed. I’d adjust it, if it was mine. As you would expect, visibility is sensational. The control feel in turns was positive. It has a good roll rate, good longitudinal stability, little adverse yaw and plenty of rudder control. “The stall is benign but definite. Like all Sierras, there’s little wing drop but with the huge rudder, that’s not a problem.

“You could spend many comfortable hours inside that cockpit”

17 / SPORT PILOT

The stalls were stable both with and without flaps. These would be great characteristics for a student or nervous flyer, although with a central control console rather than dual throttles, it wouldn’t be ideal platform for an instructor teaching stalls. The other problem with an aircraft that is too easy to fly, like this one, is that a student will get spoiled and could face difficulties when transitioning to more challenging aircraft. “The engine management system has a stall warning plus angle of attack probe, which was very accurate. Flaps and trim are both electric. “Back in the circuit, the electric trim proved its worth. Set any speed and it held without twitching. The laminar wing makes the aircraft slippery, but it was possible to slow the aircraft from cruise to the 65kts approach speed just while turning onto base. Landing was also very stable at 65kts and, as with all Sierras, tackling a tough crosswind is so simple its hardly worth talking about. I was able to hold off until the stall warning and still had effective controls past that point, which is a very handy safety feature”.

VERDICT

“As a comfortable cruiser, traversing the long distances across Australia, there would be no better aircraft in RAAus. You could spend many comfortable hours inside that cockpit. Like all Tecnams, the finish and build spec are brilliant. “It’s a classy aeroplane. It would be my pick if I had the money.” According to Bruce Stark, the basic fly away price of the new P2002 Sierra Mark 2 (2nd Generation) in Australia is $185,000 plus GST. The demonstrator flown by the test pilot had all the trimmings installed and sells for $225,000 plus GST.


FEATU FLY -INRE S

Eight eighths perfect for Holbrook STORY AND PHOTO S BY JOHN HARLE Y

Visitors started arriving early

18 / SPORT PILOT


t

FLY-IN INS FLY

H

olbrook Ultralight Club’s Easter Fly-in again showed its popularity as the go-to event for recreational aviators over the Easter extra-long weekend. With a good drop of rain in the week before the event, the airfield was in picture perfect condition. And with near perfect weather conditions across south eastern Australia in the days leading up to the event and over the four days of Easter, aircraft from across Victoria and NSW slipped in across the threshold for what was a great fly-in. With such good weather, visitors started arriving as early as Thursday afternoon and, by Saturday lunch time, the tie down area in front of the hangar was

full to the brim, which kept the HULC crew busy with the BBQ and providing sandwiches, cool drinks, cakes, tea and coffee. On the ground there were plenty of interesting aircraft to ponder over. Peter McLean, in company with two other trikes, flew in from Yarrawonga in his new PulsR trike, which he describes as the ultimate touring flexwing aircraft – very impressive. Derek Dyer’s radial powered Fisher Celebrity always draws admirers, as did the big tyred Super Cub, Highlander and Kitfoxes of the STOL brigade. With more than 45 aircraft of all types, the variety and the high quality of workmanship made wandering around the tie-down area a very inspirational experience.

Highlander 19 / SPORT PILOT


FLY -IN S

PulsR

Jodel The flight line

Aircraft systems forum

With the visitors fed and watered, three forums were held on Saturday afternoon – an RAAus member’s forum, a forum on problems experienced by RAAus pilots and a forum on setting up aircraft systems. RAAus’ National Operations Manager, Jill Bailey, led the first two, which attracted more than 55 attendees and provided a comprehensive update on new developments at RAAus headquarters. Hot topics during the member’s forum included the new permanent membership card, the professional development program, Recreational Aviation Advisory Publications (RAAPs) and the improvements to the member’s portal. The second forum focussed on problems RAAus pilots rarely hear about. That discussion definitely provided food for thought. HULC member Dave King’s forum on setting up aircraft systems was very popular and just wouldn’t quit. It was still going when the dinner bell rang and, when Dave opened his hangar on Sunday morning, several attendees were ready to pick up where they left off the evening before.

20 / SPORT PILOT


FLY -IN S

The Sea-hawk

“Hangar chat continued well into the night”

The dinner in the club’s decked out hangar was attended by about 55 people. This year HULC members decided to increase their support of the community by arranging for the local Rotary Club to cater the dinner. Holbrook Rotary Club does great work in the area. All agreed the dinner was up to its usual high standard and the hangar chat continued well into the night. The Fly-in trophies are a regular feature of the dinner and this year’s winners included Ron Olson – best RAAus registered aircraft (Tecnam), Paul Peebles – People’s choice (Sportstar) and the perennial Derek Dyer from Digby in south western Victoria – longest distance flown (Fisher Celebrity). At the conclusion of dinner, the Australian Ultralight Aircraft Museum’s Max Brown gave a very interesting and informative talk about one of

ultralight aviation’s true pioneers and legends, John Stevens, who is credited with designing and flying a conventional 95.10 three axis, high wing pusher ultralight aircraft a mere three months after the first Skycraft Scout flew. John followed it with a series of successful amphibious ultralight aircraft and an ultralight flying wing. Max was able to show a short video of both these remarkable aircraft as part of his talk. Max concluded with the words of Harry Walton (former AUF Technical Manager) who said John Stevens was a highly professional and innovative aircraft builder who was, above all, an enthusiast. The Holbrook Easter Fly-in has become popular because of its friendly and relaxed atmosphere. If you couldn’t make it this year – be sure to mark Easter 2019 on your calendar. Planning is already underway for it and we hope to see you there.

21 / SPORT PILOT


R EAD ER STORY

Fly Doc 845 BY RIC HARD TAUBMAN

22 / SPORT PILOT


R EAD ER STORY

The teacher said I was too dumb to fly

23 / SPORT PILOT


R EAD ER STORY

Scott and Amanda in a Tiger Moth

“Scott was often seen chatting to pilots”

RFDS emergency airstrip on highway outback South Australia

24 / SPORT PILOT


R EAD ER STORY

Scott’s first solo in a Tecnam at Temora

I

RFDS emergency airstrip on highway outback South Australia

N recreational flying, aircraft are identified by their registration numbers. In GA aircraft, by the letters on their tail. But in the Royal Flying Doctor Service, the doctor pilots are each allocated a personal number, preceded by the abbreviated words ‘FLY DOC’. An example of this is the heading of this story. It’s done so other pilots and air traffic controllers immediately know they are dealing with an RFDS aircraft which may require priority. The call sign relates to the pilot, not the aircraft, and is unique to the RFDS. In Year 11 at school, my son Scott was asked by a teacher what he was considering as a career. Scott replied “I would like to be an Ag pilot”. The teacher responded “The way you are going, you’d better look at a different career!” A very dejected Scott came home from school and said “Dad, the teacher said I’m too dumb to fly!” My response was, “Mate, you can do anything you put your mind to!” Undaunted, Scott started flying in late 2009 at Temora under the capable instruction of Alan Powlay and Jill Bailey. By early 2010 he had his RAAus Certificate and proceeded to build up his hours as time and money permitted. He also regularly practiced engine failures, forced landings and one wheeled landings. He was, at the time, also completing his apprenticeship as a diesel mechanic in Young. Scott loved 25 / SPORT PILOT

the challenge of flying and pushed himself. He always preferred to take a cross wind landing instead of an easier into wind option. He slowly worked towards his PPL, which included instruction at Temora from Graham White. I have been involved with cattle stations throughout the north for many years and, on one hawking trip to the NT, Scott and his stepbrother Adam Coggan flew up to meet up with us on Brunette Downs station (13,000sq kms running 70,000 head of cattle) on the Barkly Tablelands. Here I introduced Scott to the manager of Brunette, Henry Burke, who offered him a job. Scott started work as a ringer in the mustering camps and, after six months, moved on to be a mechanic and then head mechanic on the station. All the while, he was studying and furthering his flying. Sally-Ann Ward, from Ward Aviation in Bathurst flew to Brunette to push him through the final stages of his PPL, which he passed with 97% (on his third attempt mind you). He then earned his commercial pilot’s licence, which included high pressure study and training in Melbourne. He quickly followed it with low level training and a mustering rating under the highly experienced instructor and rating pilot, Neil Bates. Scott was by now flying the station Cessna 172 and 300hp Cessna 206, which he called “his baby”.


R EAD ER STORY

Scott and an RFDS Pilatus PC12

Scott in his new office the cockpit of the PC12

Twin engine rating in a Baron

Aero medical cabin of PC12

26 / SPORT PILOT


R EAD ER STORY

“Bush pilots are capable of getting in and out of testing places” Scott in the Baron doing a low pass over baiting station

For the next two years, Scott was one of the two pilots on Brunette Downs. He did regular mustering flights, as well boundary fence flying, dropping baits for dingoes and regular bore runs over the station. There were also regular runs to Mt Isa for supplies and transporting sick or injured station hands to both Mt Isa and Tennant Creek. On the outback and isolated stations and aboriginal settlements throughout the north, there are regular visits from the RFDS. A doctor, nurse and pilot will fly in and conduct a medical clinic for a day or so, for anyone on the station who needs advice or treatment. Scott was often seen chatting to the pilots about what it was like in the RFDS and to fly the Pilatus PC 12, a single engine turbo prop 12 seater. The aircraft was designed and built in Switzerland and can also be configured for air ambulance or corporate seating. It has huge power of 1,200 shaft horse power, is capable of short field landings and takeoffs on dirt and rugged strips and can fly up to 30,000ft. RFDS pilots have to have a minimum of 200 night hours, 100 instrument hours and a total of 2,500 hours in command. The service likes experienced bush pilots because they are capable of getting planes in and out of pretty testing places under all sorts of conditions. They can land on dirt roads and some of the bitumen

roads in the outback even have emergency runways built into them. Scott wanted to have a go for it. Being a mustering pilot wasn’t going to give him the night or IFR hours he would need, so he moved briefly to Bacchus Marsh to train and sit for his IFR exam. After that he went to Port Macquarie for his multi engine rating. Early in 2015 he went to Brisbane where he flew for a mining company for free for two months to get his hours up in Navajos and Chieftains. He continued moving about the country chasing his dream. Next up was Perth where he flew night after night with retired Cathay Pacific 777 and 747 pilot, Ian Jenkins in Ian’s RV10 high performance twin seater single engine rocket. Although he was still a fair bit short of the required hours in command, Scott started sending his resume to the RFDS every three months, as he built up his hours flying all over Queensland in Piper Navajos and Chieftains. After eight months of that, it was back to WA as a baiting pilot with Shine Aviation in Geraldton. He covered huge areas of the state in a Beechcraft Baron, dropping 1080 baits for foxes and feral cats, which are a massive problem in the west. The job also included flying miners in and out of many sites and even police runs carrying prisoners. 27 / SPORT PILOT

It was while he was in Geraldton, and I was visiting him, that he received the long-awaited phone call. “This is the RFDS and we would like to interview you.” But, despite having waited so long, Scott was still under contract to Shine and it was some time before he could agree to be interviewed. A nervous Scott then went through the phone interview followed by a face-to-face interview in Adelaide, which included a test flight in a Pilatus. By the time he returned to Perth, the RFDS had made him a formal offer. His dream from so many years before had finally come true. Scott flew out from Perth on Saturday September, 16, 2017 and began training at the Adelaide RFDS base the very next day. He had, by then, flown more than 15 different types of aircraft and had well over 3,500 hours in command. He was supposed to stay in Adelaide for several months training but, after a couple of weeks, the service moved him to Alice Springs, where he continued his training under a system known as ‘In Command Under Supervision’. He was going back to the Territory, which he loves. Just before he left Adelaide, he was called into the office and handed a letter. “This is yours Scott, you’ve earned it.” It was his official number. He had become FLYDOC 845.


F EATU RE STORY

Watch out for wasps By Alan Betteridge

28 / SPORT PILOT


F EATU RE STORY

ONE OF THE THINGS DRILLED INTO ME WHEN I LEARNED TO FLY WAS TO ALWAYS REPLACE THE PITOT TUBE COVER AT THE END OF A FLIGHT – EVEN IF I KNEW THE AIRCRAFT WAS GOING TO BE USED THROUGHOUT THE DAY. Back then, I thought the CFI was being overly cautious, but I did as I was instructed anyway (well, almost always). The reason for the CFI’s attitude was due to an unnerving experience he’d had during a flight early in his career caused, in no small part, by a very small insect – a mud dauber wasp. As he told it, he had just departed on a solo training flight and found himself airborne with no ASI. He said that, while the ASI appeared to work during the take-off roll, after becoming airborne it wouldn’t budge beyond 55kts and even when he reduced power on approach, it stubbornly remained at 55kts. Luckily, he was able to make an uneventful landing (he insisted it was due to his superior skill, but most believed it was just good luck and a long runway). After parking the aircraft, he called a LAME to investigate the problem. The LAME discovered a mud wasp had partially built a nest in the pitot tube.

“Evidence indicates wasps can build a significant nest in 20 minutes ”

29 / SPORT PILOT

The nest hadn’t completely blocked the tube, allowing the ASI to work for a short time, but when the aircraft had left the ground the nest collapsed, blocking the tube completely and holding the ASI to the speed it had been going at the time. The aircraft in question had only returned from a flight 35 minutes prior to the incident flight. That was all the time it had taken for the mud wasp to build her new home (only the female mud dauber wasps build nests. They are also the only ones which can sting you). After that episode, and throughout his career, he insisted on putting the pitot cover in place and I have no doubt that insistence has helped many pilots avoid what he went through. Not all pilots are so lucky. The pilot of a PA28-140 in the U.S suffered a partial loss of engine power which resulted in a forced landing. Although no one was injured, the aircraft received major damage. The NTSB preliminary report indicated that after the pilot noticed the power loss, and suspecting carby ice, he applied carburettor heat, but it had made no difference. He stated he was unable to make it back to the runway and elected to make a forced landing in the nearest paddock.


F EATU RE STORY

Watch out for wasps cont.

A mud wasp nest was the primary cause of this PA28-140 crash in the U.S

g a home

tube after buildin erges from the pitot

Mud dauper wasp em

A Birgenair 757 crashed into the sea after mud wasps made a nest in the aircraft’s pitot system 30 / S P O R T P I L O T

An examination by an FAA inspector revealed a mud dauber nest in the carburettor heat control box, which had prevented the carburettor heat valve from fully opening. In another case in the U.S, a C172 had a complete engine failure shortly after take-off, resulting in a crash which caused serious injuries to the pilot and a passenger. In this case investigators found mud dauber wasps had built a nest in the air intake, which had been sucked into the carburettor, causing the engine failure and subsequent crash. Airliners too are not immune to mud wasp problems – sometimes with catastrophic results. On February 6, 1996 a fully computerised, state-of-the-art Boeing 757-225 belonging to Birgenair, crashed into the sea shortly after takeoff from Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic killing 13 crew and 176 passengers. Investigators found mud wasps had built a nest in one of pitot tubes, which had led to erroneous readings of the instruments.


F EATU RE STORY

Wasp nest was found completely suspended in the control cables of a C18

Thorough inspection of the pitot tube for signs of mud wasp activity is a wise move - placing the pitot cover on after every flight is far better

As is always the case, there were many other factors which led to the crash but the prime cause was mud wasps. In an incident much closer to home in 2013, an Etihad Airlines Airbus A330 made an emergency over-weight return and landing at Brisbane after a loss of airspeed indication. During the subsequent inspection, it was found that the Captain’s pitot probe was almost totally obstructed by an insect nest, consistent with a mud dauber wasp. The aircraft had been on the ground for only two hours and, during that time, the pitot tubes remained uncovered. Mud dauber wasps are found throughout Australia and they have a particular affinity for nesting in narrow passageways such as pitot tubes, fuel tank vents and drains. It doesn’t really matter whether your aircraft is parked outside or inside a hangar, the mud dauber wasps are always present and pose a threat.

But it’s not just narrow passageways which can cause problems. Mud dauber wasps will build a nest in any cavity where they can get protection from the weather and predators. A recent CASA defect report investigation found a number of wasp nests inside the wing of a Cessna 182. There was even one large wasp nest entirely suspended on the flight control cables in the rear fuselage. You can reduce the risks of mud dauber wasps by being vigilant and checking pitot tubes, fuel breather vents and such. They will normally build their nests close to the entry and are usually not too hard to see. If you find one nest, it would be very prudent to check all other places for indications of other nests. If your aircraft has been stored or not flown for any length of time you should remove inspection covers to ensure your pride and joy hasn’t become the new home for wasps. Above all, always put the pitot tube covers on, 31 / S P O R T P I L O T

even if you are only intending to stay at the aerodrome for a short time or you know the aircraft it to be used again shortly. Each year CASA receives approximately five defect reports affecting various systems and types of aircraft as the result of mud dauber wasp nests. Anecdotal evidence indicates the wasps can build a significant nest capable of completely blocking a pitot tube, vent or drain, in around 20 minutes – definitely a good reason to cover up.

For a full report on the Birgenair crash visit: http://lessonslearned.faa.gov/ Birgenair301/Birgenair301_Accident_ Report.pdf The CASA Airworthiness Bulletin can be found at: https://www.casa.gov.au/ files/awb-02-052-issue-3-wasp-nestinfestation-alert


E D I T O R’ S CHO I CE

The WOFTAM card BY BRIAN BIGG

BY GOLLY THE ASIC CARD IS HANDY, ISN’T IT? GONE ARE THE DAYS WHEN WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT IN LINE WITH MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC AT THE AIRPORT. NO, A QUICK WAVE OF THE RED CARD AT THE STUDIOUS OFFICIAL AT THE GATE AND YOU GET STRAIGHT THROUGH TO YOUR AEROPLANE, THE STUDIOUS OFFICIAL SALUTING AS YOU STRIDE PAST, KNOWING THAT YOU ARE ONE OF THE FEW IN THE LAND TO BE PRIVILEGED WITH SUCH EXCLUSIVE ACCESS. AND THE ASIC IS QUITE VALUABLE TO OUR NATIONAL SECURITY TOO, ISN’T IT? You only have to look at the crowds of terrorists standing outside the fence, weeping in frustration, unable to gain access because they don’t have the red card, to realise that it is the only thing keeping us safe in these troubled times. I’ve spoken a lot about the card over the years, none of it complimentary. Its introduction was a knee-jerk reaction by the government in the wake of the September 11 attacks. They needed to be seen to be doing something to make the public believe that they were keeping them safe - even if the move was completely ineffective and counter-productive.

JOHN DOE

It’s like that stupid explosives test they still do at airports around the country. The bloke scrapes a wand over your shoes and bag and you stand there until the machine tells him you are safe to proceed. I bet, of the millions of tests they do every year, there wouldn’t be more than a handful of positive results - and those would be from people returning from work in the mines where explosives are part of the daily business. It must cost a bucket every year to conduct these tests for absolutely no return. The government knows that. And you know the government is embarrassed about it. They won’t tell you how many positive results they receive and whether or not they result in the apprehension or the alerting of the authorities to a potential incident. I’m willing to bet none. I received a call once from a bloke who said he’d been stopped when his shoes had given a positive response. He told me he had explained to the official that he worked in the mines. They had asked him if he could prove it. He had given them the phone number of his boss and they had run his boss and confirmed it. Then let him proceed. He rung me because he was flabbergasted. “I could have given them any number”, he said. “They had no idea who answered on the other end.” It’s the same with the ASIC card. According to Sport Pilot columnist, Dave Edmunds, who asked the question some time ago, only one person has ever been refused a card. So it’s clear only people with a legitimate right to an airport are applying for them. That means two things. For all the scare stories by the government (Be alert but not alarmed? Give me a break) our wonderful multicultural community doesn’t have any terrorists - or not very many at least. And its obvious ASIO bounces on them as soon as they click on a webpage they shouldn’t. It also means potential terrorists don’t consider the ASIC card to be a worthwhile way to get access to an airport. So why burden all the honest people if there is no valid security reason. The only impact of the introduction of the card was to turn pilots from being part of the solution into part of the problem. We suddenly went from being guardians of our airport security - after all we don’t want people wandering around our aeroplanes who have no right to be there, do we? The cards turned us into people be treated with suspicion, after all, we were the ones always hanging around the airport. And because the government wasn’t really serious about the whole thing, after all it only needs to be seen to be keeping us safe, it allowed the various councils to make up their own definitions for the enforcement of the card. At some airports there is a nazi who will demand to see the card before he grants you access to the toilets or water bubbler. Pilots, being contrary types generally, reacted as you’d expect. Many I’ve spoken to don’t even bother applying for the cards anymore. We’re recreational pilots, we don’t have to fly where we don’t want to.

32 / S P O R T P I L O T


The regulation says a ‘Photo of me , not more than six months old’

“Recreational pilots don’t have to fly where we don’t want to”

The airports with the nazis aren’t any safer because of him, but they are poorer. They lose our business for their taxi drivers, hotels and restaurants. What do we care? We’ll go somewhere they appreciate us. When I was first issued with an ASIC card, I carried it around diligently, expecting to have to show it regularly. No one has ever asked me for it. Ever. After a while I stopped carrying it around and left it in the plane, just in case. Sometime later, when doing the annual cleanout and vacuum, I discovered the card again and realised it had been out of date for almost a year. I hadn’t noticed, but apparently the government hadn’t either. As I said, they’re not really serious about it. Because of my responsible position as Editor I felt it best to keep my card up-to-date, so I went online to learn about what I would need to do to renew it. They wanted a photo. So I delved into the file and found a couple of old passport photos, rather than go to the time and expense of getting new ones taken. Why do they always take eight photos of you, when you only need two for your passport application? My appearance hasn’t changed much in the past few years, even my haircut is pretty much the same as it was 10 years ago. So the photo was unquestionably me. I sent it off but received a polite letter from a lady at the aviation ID company telling me that I would need to send her new photos, because the two I’d sent her were the same as I’d sent her two years before. Oops. I delved back into the file and found another passport photo group. Really the only difference was the shirt I was wearing. I sent those off, but got another letter of rejection from the same lady telling me that they had

been the same photos as I’d submitted on my very first application all those years ago. I really hadn’t changed that much. By now I was getting cranky because the photos were so similar as to be effectively indistinguishable from each other and any photo I took of me today would be indistinguishable from them. The magical security officer at the gate who examined my ASIC card (and we know there is no such person) would be in no doubt I was the person in the photo. While rereading the requirements, I noticed that it said I had to send in a photo of myself not more than six months old. So I went back to the file and found an old photo of me of when I was not more than six months old and sent that off. It earned me another rejection letter from the lady, but it did make me feel better about the wasted hours I was spending on this stupid thing. Ultimately I bit the bullet and made the trip to the post office where I got a new group of passport photos taken. I asked the post office attendant to sign on the back that the photos had been taken on that particular day. Then I sent all eight off in the mail. Bugger it, I thought. The lady could cut them up herself and keep the extra ones for next time. Having spent hours and hours and hundreds of dollars, I had done enough. Sometime later as I was heading out in the car, I checked the mailbox and found a letter from the aviation ID people with my new card included. Great, I thought, and chucked the envelope into the glove box. It’s still there nearly year later. Don’t know if I’ll bother next time. WOFTAM? Waste of *%#$ time and money.

33 / S P O R T P I L O T




POSTER

PRETTY AND POWERFUL BY PE TER WOOLFORD

Here a picture of my new Jabiru J230, the first one to leave the factory with the new generation IV 3300cc 120hp engine. This picture shows it at its new home, Flinders Island South Australia, which is available for accommodation and fly-ins. For more information, www.flindersgetaway.com

POSTER OPPORTUNITY

Want to see yourself or your aircraft larger than life on your clubhouse or bedroom wall?

Sport Pilot is offering subscribers the chance to show off their favourite aviation photo in this double page centre spread of the magazine each month. Each edition one photo will be chosen (We will try and make sure every photo sent in gets a run). If you are an aircraft seller, it’s a great chance to show off your product.

36 / S P O R T P I L O T

If you have a fancy paint job, now is the time to show it off. And if you have a great photograph of you and your mates at a fly-in, it will make a good memento. Send your photos (as separate jpeg attachments) to editor@sportpilot. net.au. It obviously has to be in landscape, not portrait, mode and be as big a file as possible please.


PI LOT TA L K

Those dreaded NOTAMS BY THE OP S TE AM

A

USTRALIA seems to be the current flavour of the month for official visits and events on the world stage. And in today’s security environment, this means lots of airspace restrictions and Temporary Restricted Areas. As well, our military cousins are getting lots of new toys to play with, resulting in an increase in operational exercises and general Defence department airborne activity. If all this wasn’t enough to fill the sky, we also have an invasion of new airborne technologies like Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs, UAVs or drones) constantly being launched. Yes, the sky is getting busy and we need to be aware of all of these activities before we head out for a recreational flight. Recently Operations was advised of two airspace violations during the ASEAN summit in the Sydney region – hang on, what summit, when, where and how? Yes, there was NOTAM advice of a TRA, buried deep in the Head Office Flight Information Region NOTAMs, but it did escape more than a few pilots in their planning. Likewise, the Commonwealth Games had a range of restricted areas and Air Defence Identification Zones in place. These activations, temporary or otherwise, were well hidden within the FIR NOTAMs. There are often procedures unique to many of these events and associated restrictions. Airservices will issue Aeronautical Information Publication supplementary information to provide procedural guidance for pilots. All of a sudden a simple flight around your local area gets a whole lot more complicated. While most of us will know about the bigger events around our local patch, many pilots may be in the dark about associated restrictions, making access to NOTAMs critical for all pilots. Operations strongly encourages all pilots to create an Airservices National Aeronautical Information Processing System (NAIPS) user account- they’re free.

DIGITAL DIRECTIONS

A NAIPS account allows access to the official information you are going to need. A NAIPS account can be set up at this link http://www. airservicesaustralia.com/flight-briefing and can be directly linked to your tablet or computer to make things easy. Pilots can use NAIPS to get local weather, official last light or probe further for extended flight planning and flight notification. There is definitely benefit for pilots rather than using Elders Weather and should be a standard part of your flight planning. Of course RAAus helps to keep you informed with eNews communications on significant events and associated references, but in the end pilot must be responsible and ensure accessing this information forms a critical part of pre-flight discipline. RAAus remains well represented at Regional Airspace and Procedures Advisory committees including the newly formed Aviation Safety Advisory Panel, and continually works to ensure simpler, and therefore safer, regulation and services are provided to pilots, specifically at the recreational level by engaging with the regulator, Airservices, Bureau of Meteorology and the Defence department as well as other airspace user groups.

STAYING IN CONTROL

Our current PDP series is now in full swing and instructors, pilots, maintainers and the general membership are providing positive feedback on the content and engagement at all of the sessions so far. One critical area of focus from Operations is control management for instructors to prevent Loss of Control. Ultimately, however, this significant operational element applies to all pilots. LOC accidents are the single most significant flight related accident according to the RAAus Occurrence Management System. No pilot or Instructor is immune from letting it get away from them.

Common contributing factors to these events include; • Lack of understanding of the difference in control effectiveness at slow airspeeds; • Delayed decisions to abort an unstable approach; • Poor situational awareness; • Poor decision making related to aborted take-off at short private strips; • Lack of understanding of local conditions and micrometeorology; • Limited experience on low inertia aircraft; • Overconfidence or complacency; • Misuse of flight controls (particularly overreliance on aileron to maintain runway alignment); • Flying at inappropriate airspeed for conditions; • Short field operations. While it can be easy to think about these issues with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, most events can be prevented by investing time, energy, understanding and skill development. Recent examples include: • A new pilot taking off with a tailwind and not deciding on a take-off rejection point, resulting in a written off aircraft; • A pilot took off on a blustery day, climbed at maximum angle and stalled the aircraft, impacted buildings and fortunately did not suffer serious injuries; • A student building solo hours mismanaging a bounced landing, resulting in loss of control and writing the aircraft off, again, with fortunately no serious injury. RAAus continues to provide ongoing education and resources to schools and pilots in relation to loss of control accidents but we need members and instructors to ensure pilots are competent and familiar wherever or whenever aircraft are operated. Never be afraid to ask for help from an experienced instructor if in any doubt.

THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO INTERACT WITH RAAUS:

Website: www.raa.asn.au Member portal: www.members.raa.asn.au/login RAAus shop: www.shop.raa.asn.au Lodge an occurrence: www.oms.raa.asn.au/lodge Back issues of Sport Pilot: www.raa.asn.au/ sport-pilot-magazine

Subscribe to printed Sport Pilot: www.raa.asn.au/sport-pilot-magazine-application Sport Pilot online: www.raa.asn.au/sport-pilotmagazine ENewsletter: www.raa.asn.au/become-amember/member-benefits/e-news

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When you are up here you need to know what is happening at a glance.

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New Glance EFIS 207 Wide 7" Screen Flight instruments Air navigation instruments Engine monitoring Proudly brought to you by Ph: 0412 702 680 E: info@sapphireavionics.com.au W: www.sapphireavionics.com.au 38 / S P O R T P I L O T


F EATU RE STORY

The mystery of the missing beats BY ROB KNIGHT

THE TAKE-OFF WAS LIKE THE HUNDREDS BEFORE IT. THE WEATHER WAS WARM AND CLEAR, WITH JUST A LIGHT NORTHERLY ON THE NOSE. WE WERE BOTH SITTING IN LAZY CONTEMPLATION AS WE TURNED RIGHT HAND CROSSWIND AND CONTINUED THE CLIMB IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF HOME BASE. THEN, AT ABOUT 800FT, THE MOTOR MISSED A COUPLE OR THREE BEATS.

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Y the time we had thrown off our lethargy and caught up with the aircraft, the 912 had returned to smooth running. Neither of us was really sure about what we had just experienced and, after checking the temps and pressures were all in their green ranges, we continued the turn in gliding distance of the airfield. We tried to reproduce the missed beats, changing airspeeds and watching the temps, but no further hairs were raised. Thus began what became nearly four months of cerebral and research work to solve the issue. Back home, a quick logbook check confirmed that we had around four hours before the next 50-hour scheduled maintenance and inspection was due, but we decided to bring relevant parts of the 50hour forward. The aircraft was hangared until we could organise the time to look deeper into the cause. In due course, the cowlings came off so the plugs could be examined for signs of the cause. While the ROTAX Maintenance Manual provides an instruction to replace the spark plugs at 200-hour intervals, in this aircraft the plugs had been changed more frequently. Two removed plugs showed signs of a slightly rich mixture, but the remaining six were all good in terms of colour and carbon deposits. Although the engine issue symptoms didn’t fit well with it being an ignition issue, we replaced all the plugs with a brand new set, all double checked for gap. We also pulled both the carburettor bowls and discovered a glob of what appeared to be water with fibres in it. Very small. It would have been drawn through a main jet, should it have been picked up. A thorough ground run was sweet with no re-occurrence of missing engine noise, so we took it for a flight. It never missed a beat.

Where to begin?

After heaps of self-congratulation and a smug celebratory cup of tea, we put the girl to bed with her blankets on and closed the hangar doors. About a fortnight later, the seasonal winds dropped sufficiently for me to take a new chap to the area for some local experience around our home field. Fully certified and current, we shared a local flight to revise stalls and re-affirm his setting up the aircraft in various approach configurations before returning to home base for some circuit work. All went well until, once again, out of the blue, the engine ran rough. It was at the same time and place in the circuit, at about 750ft on the crosswind. But this time I noticed, as soon as I reduced power from full throttle, the engine returned immediately to smooth running. With full throttle returned, so did full power and the revs returned to around 5,260, the usual approximate RPM for full throttle. With the wind being so kind, we could continue circuits and remain within an easy glide distance of the field at any stage, so I elected to continue with a couple more circuits. The next two were uneventful and then, on the last, the rough running returned. With my colleague’s hair supporting his headset, I made a full-stop landing and returned to the hangar, from where I called the person who did the aircraft logbook and advised him that our previous celebration had been premature.

A CALL FOR HELP

I called Bert Flood and spoke to Gary. He was extremely helpful and confirmed our suspicion that it was not likely an ignition issue and that we should check the carburettors, the fuel pumps and fuel lines. The cowlings came off again and we pulled the new plugs anyway in case they had some information on the issue. The whole eight of them seemed quite okay, all things considered, and there were no visible signs that one had failed or was the cause of potential rough running. We then visually checked the ignition harness as a routine measure because we believed, and been confirmed by an auto-electrician, that an intermittent failure was highly unlikely without radio interference. The radio had been functioning perfectly. We checked every line throughout its length, every filter and every clamp. We checked the engine for anything which might lend itself to an intermittent engine issue, but drew a complete blank. Another extensive ground run was uneventful, as was the full throttle run after we tied the tail to a post. Everything we could think of was functioning absolutely normally. Several people suggested carburettor ice might be behind our mystery problem. I didn’t agree, because it was unlikely to occur at the same time and place in the circuit, and then only intermittently. Also, the carburettor throats and throttle valve assemblies were too hot for deposition and all the text books agreed. We looked closely at the age of the fuel and confirmed all our fuel had been purchased from reputable, high-turnover dealers (mainly BP). Nevertheless, and running out of ideas, we refuelled the nearly empty aircraft with really fresh stuff. Two circuits were uneventful before we had to leave for other commitments.

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F EATU RE STORY

The mystery of the missing beats cont. The pilot looking for local experience was still looking, so we arranged to meet to continue his circuit familiarisation. Again, conditions were excellent for the exercise and we managed three circuits before, in the climb on the crosswind leg, we had another event - the same as the previous ones. In the clement conditions, where I could always glide back to the field, I did six more circuits. On two more of these circuits, I experienced brief and sudden periods of rough running and power loss, with immediate restoration of noise after cycling the throttle. I didn’t need to move the throttle much; maybe a quarter of its travel range, but its effect was always instantaneous. I also found that using the electric back-up pump was irrelevant – the issue occurred with the electric pump on and off. My colleague was quite unimpressed with my tenacity and pulled his hat down over his eyes in resignation as I continued to fly around the circuit.

The person who did the logbook service decided to take both carburettors home to his workshop and strip them. We figured it must be something affecting the mixture on one of the carbs, something which should be identifiable if we stripped and looked. So we removed the carburettors and re-fitted all the anti-dust mechanisms available and left the girl in intensive care, missing a couple of vital organs. Three weeks later the carburettors had been completely stripped and rebuilt, a time-consuming and fiddly process.

No items of note were found. However we had to be sure. So every gallery, orifice and available fuel-contacted location was cleaned and blown dry before the two assemblies were re-assembled. We again removed the cowl before losing skin and blood refitting the carbs - the area we had to work in seemed to have shrunk after we removed them. We both rechecked the carburettor and fuel line refitting before we re-covered the nose. Another tied down test run while exercising the wheels turned up no issues, so we re-tested the aircraft with a couple of circuits. We were still in the woods. The engine coughed, missed and lost power at about 800ft on crosswind on the second one.

ANOTHER CALL FOR HELP

This was proving quite some mystery and the person who does the logbook decided to call on the expertise of the Floods again. He explained our efforts to Gary Flood. Gary mulled it over and then asked about the mechanical fuel pump installed on the engine. When told it was a later model, the one with a fitted venting system, Gary suggested we might look more closely at the mechanical fuel pump vent and its associated vent line. If the vent was blocked it could, conceivably, provide symptoms similar to those we had experienced. A blocked vent could, subject to temperature and RPM (and airspeed), be the culprit. He also added that, if the installed vent line was vinyl plastic, wise men would replace it with a harder-walled length of rubber fuel hose and that, ideally, the route for the tail of the vent line should extend to the vicinity of the firewall. Off came the cowls again. They were becoming easier to remove and replace, both with the practice we were getting and the wear on the attachment fittings. The fuel pump did indeed have a vent line and it was of semitranslucent vinyl plastic. We had looked at this line but, with no belief that it might be relevant, did not pay direct attention to its entire length. The tail of the line had been cable-tied to the heat-sink material surrounding the hot water line to the radiator. It all looked very secure and appeared totally appropriate. However, when we cut the cable ties and removed the vent line, in places invisible previously, we discovered the line had been crushed so completely and effectively that it had been welded closed by the surrounding heat. To make matters worse, there were two cable tie attachments and both had closed and sealed the vent tube. At last we had something we could apply directly to the situation. Some might say we should have picked up on the vent line during the engine bay inspections.

The still common pump, which has no vent. The pump without the issue has a third hose-line attachment underneath its body and no external venting system

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F EATU RE STORY

But because we had not directly linked it to the situation, we had not been looking where we couldn’t see and the complete length of the vent line was not visible. We immediately replaced the line with a brand new, thick walled, low pressure (automotive) length of 6mm rubber fuel hose, manufactured by Gates and purchased from Repco. As soon as we could, we did yet another ground run with, yet again the same perfect results. Another flight was the only way to check it. So, with good fuel on board, we lined up and the person who does the logbook opened the throttle. Power was good (as always at this stage of flight) and the take-off was uneventful. That is, until around 800ft when - nothing happened – the engine ran perfectly. Elated, we did several more circuits before heading off on an extended local flight. After 1.8 hours of perfect running, we put the girl back to bed and put her dust blankets on her. After locking the hangar doors, she went to sleep.

Nevertheless, we stayed on until the only hoses left to replace were in the cockpit.

AT LAST

The person who does the logbook did the last of the hose replacement mid-week but the hot weather would have made a test-flight uncomfortable. The following Saturday he test-flew the aircraft and this time, as we fervently hoped, the engine never missed a beat. At last the issues were solved. In summary and after discussion, we believe there were two issues we had to resolve for a 100% success, and this combination was a major factor and difficulty in solving the mystery. We think the mechanical fuel pump had a problem with a leaking non-return valve for several months.

The engine coug hed, mis sed and lost power

NOT SO FAST

Then, just three days later, the person who does the logbook took her out for another local flight. It was a great day and he planned a trip to the coast. But, suddenly, in level flight this time, the engine missed a couple of heartbeats. He turned for home while turning on the electric back-up fuel pump. Almost immediately engine power was restored: heart-beats returned to smooth and at a lower pace. In spite of the good visibility, we were still not yet out of the woods. After discussion, he decided to replace the current mechanical fuel pump with a brand new one. The installed one had done 200 hours and was four years old, so it only had a year of life remaining. At the same time, he decided to replace all the fuel hoses in accordance with the Rotax five yearly requirement. With the new hoses to hand, we returned to the airfield and spent a day replacing the hoses in the engine bay. Fate was having a good laugh at our expense as the temperatures in the hangar rose towards 45°C.

Not having a fitted fuel pressure gauge, we couldn’t ascertain the fuel pressure provided by either pump but, as long as the maximum output at full throttle provided sufficient fuel to keep the carburettor bowls filled correctly, we never suspected anything. However, the blocked vent line reduced the pump efficiency at full throttle to an extent where an interruption to the fuel supply resulted in rough running. Cycling the throttle changed the fuel demand and the blocked vent issue reduced in effect and the engine ran normally again. However, the blocked vent loaded the mechanical pump internally and caused the nonreturn valve to wear quickly, providing the complex set of circumstances for ongoing, short term engine failures. We have now been advised of another aircraft in our vicinity having exactly the same symptoms for exactly the same reason. A mystery solved.

TOTALLY CRUSHED

j

j

m

TOTALLY CRUSHED

LIGHTLY CRUSHED

41 / SPORT PILOT


R EAD ER STORY

Ann Smith and John Edwards

s 0 5 o tw s te a r b le e c n to s King ES BY PE TE R BR OW NE BY BA RB AR A C RO UC H PIC T UR

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HE Kingston S.E. Flying Group in southeast South Australia celebrated two big 50th anniversary events in February. First was the anniversary of the group’s founding in 1968. A second, but no less important occasion, was to mark the noteworthy achievement of the group’s only remaining foundation member, John Edwards. John recently clocked up a magnificent 50 years of GA, AUF and RAAus flying. An admirable feat in anyone’s book. He has built 16 aircraft during that time, including several first-of-types. During his long involvement with aviation, John has been an SAAA Designated Inspector and an RAAus L2 Maintenance Authority holder. John still flies several times a week at the tender age of 83. As the day dawned for our fly-in, we found that the weather wasn’t going to be terribly kind to us. However, even though we had a 1,000ft 42 / SPORT PILOT

cloud-base with a southerly breeze of about eight knots which continued to increase a little during the day, some intrepid pilots did get through. Some had waited for pretty long periods to get across the Adelaide hills and out to the flatlands towards the southeast where the cloud base was not so restrictive. Many other weather-grounded pilots opted to drive. The farthest traveller came from Brisbane! Our group’s Queensland representative, who actually hangars two of his aircraft at Kingston, had read the long-range forecast a week before and set off several days early, rather than miss the event. Bruce Sansom and his wife, Meryn, arrived safely after quite a drive. That showed real commitment. Other pilots came by road from Adelaide. Simon and Tracey Brown drove down through the kangaroo belt from Renmark in their little red Mini, while Terry Mowbray drove from Loxton in his camper. Mark Johns and his wife, Dianne,


R EAD ER STORY

attended from the Riverland in his immaculate RV6A, arriving a day early to beat the forecast bad weather en-route. He reported he actually saw 183kts on the GPS at one stage. You don’t see that very often in an RV apparently. Several more guests drove all the way from the Peninsula Aero Club at Tyabb, in Victoria. Others from that club managed to fly as far as Mt Gambier, but drove the remaining 150kms from there. Attending by road from Digby in Victoria was enthusiast/builder Derek Dyer, who many will know from his penchant for the radial motors with which he graces his beautifully produced kit planes. Long-time friend and member Russell Garraway flew his well-travelled Corby Starlet from Colac. We hadn’t expected any aircraft to fly in, so we were not disappointed to hear aircraft in the circuit as the day progressed. In fact, we ended up with about a dozen.

Youngest pilots were Bradley Leskas and his co-pilot Isaac. They came from Gawler, 45 km north of Adelaide. They waited most patiently in their FK9 until about 2pm and finally managed to join us for the dinner. Even later in the day we were thrilled to see a gaggle of four beautiful, two seat state-of-the-art gyrocopters come roaring out of the north west from Strathalbyn in the Adelaide hills. They had also been awaiting the improvement of weather to get away. To add to the festive atmosphere, the local vintage and special car club had an amazing array of faithfully restored vehicles, including a beautiful Rolls Royce. More than 40 people attended the official dinner. The night concluded with a short but

amusing address from long-time President of the Kingston SE Flying Group, Robin Crouch. Robin opened by recognising the unexpected passing of our great friend and long-time aviation helpmate, Roger Duance. Roger’s contribution has been recognised in many other arenas for his knowledge, support and advice, over many years, to homebuilders and restorers in and around our own state and beyond. Kingston S.E Flying Group would like to express a big thank-you to everyone who made the extraordinary effort required to overcome Mother Nature’s barriers on the day, whether they flew in or drove to get here. You all shared in making our celebration of the club’s 50th birthday an incredibly warm and successful one.

“We hadn’t expected any aircraft to fly in”

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R EAD ER STORY

Martin(left and Tim

Catching up with buddies BY MARTIN CA STILL A

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couldn’t get to the official fly-in organised by the Kingston SE Flying Club, but there was a second fly-in at Kingston soon afterwards. This was a casual meet-up, taking advantage of the Adelaide Cup public holiday in SA. Local aircraft owners jumped at the chance to join up and lunch somewhere different. When I met with SportStar owner/pilot Tim Whitrow, clouds hovered over the Aldinga Aerodrome. Over coffee in the Adelaide Biplanes cafe, other pilots commented that all was clear up to around 3,000ft, the southerly wind variable but okay to fly. Just after 10am we departed towards our first waypoint, the coastal township of Goolwa. Conditions between 2,000 and 2,500ft were bumpy, so once past Goolwa we descended to 1,000ft and tracked along the endless white coastline, with forays just inland over the Coorong National Park and adjoining miles of darker sand dunes. 44 / SPORT PILOT

We were discussing potential emergency landing sites in case the fan stopped spinning. Tim, who used to camp on the Coorong as a youngster, and today regularly flies over it, said “Given the option, I wouldn’t land on the ocean beaches, but the Coorong’s dark sands are harder packed, so that’s where we’d aim for”. With that, he pulled the power right back, set the nose to best glide speed of 60kts and headed for the Coorong shoreline. As we descended, Tim talked through the exercise: “See the darker strip over there? That’s compacted hard sand because the water is still there. It’s continually packed down, so much less likely to dig the nose in and flip us over”. Once it became clear we could have set the Sporty down, he powered back up and climbed to 5,500ft. It was a good training example for me, a low hour student, of a simulated emergency land-


R EAD ER STORY

Royal Mail delivery Aldinga to Kingston

Blustery, note the windsock

No better way to travel

ing situation and the strategy behind it. Now it has been formally endorsed, that southern coastal area will be part of the turf I regularly fly over. We were driving into a headwind, with an indicated airspeed of 110kts and ground speed of 90kts so barring changes, it was going to be a slow flight down and much quicker one back. On Tim’s OzRunways display we could see a couple of friends’ airplanes 10-15 minutes behind. One was above the cloud base around 3,500ft, the other just below it. Once past the Meningie township we slowed and allowed the bright yellow Gazelle (called ‘Tweety Bird’ for obvious reasons) to catch up, then flew alongside

each other, which was a lot of fun. We took photos and videos of each other, but the Gazelle’s comfortable 70kts cruising speed was a lot slower than our SportStar’s 100, so after 10 minutes we waved goodbye, powered up and climbed back to 5,500ft for the rest of the trip to Kingston. The atmosphere at this altitude was smooth and coastal views magnificent. One aircraft was already on the ground when we landed, an Adelaide couple in a Jabiru J160 planning to stay overnight at the Royal Mail Hotel. Within 30 minutes all our aircraft had landed and most were tied down to protect against the blustery coastal surface winds. The overnighting couple called their hotel, which kindly sent a mini-bus to

“Fly-ins are an exciting way to catch up with buddies”

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drop us at café in town for lunch. After a lazy hour in the sun, the mini-bus again picked us up and delivered us back to the airfield – after stopping at a local servo so two of the pilots could refill their fuel jerry cans. It was very generous of the driver because clearly none of us was booked in as a guest. Stay at the Royal Mail whenever you are in Kingston. The return flight was quicker, helped along by the 15-20 knot southerly tailwind. Once landed at Aldinga, the SportStar was pushed back into the hangar, the battery connected to the trickle charger and covers strapped over the canopy and propellers. Fly-ins are such a fun, relaxed and exciting way to catch up with buddies travelling in all sorts of jalopies, talking pilot talk, swapping stories and just generally enjoying being around our aircraft. I can’t wait till the next one.


FLI G HT IN S TRU CT OR ’ S F OR U M

Quit stalling or it will spin yo BY PROFES SOR AVIU S AV I AT I ON GU RU

I WAS HAVING A CHAT WITH ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR RECENTLY AND THE TOPIC OF INCIPIENT AND FULLY DEVELOPED SPINS CAME UP. SPINS ALWAYS MAKE FOR AN INTERESTING TOPIC AND IT WASN’T TOO LONG INTO THE CONVERSATION WE MIGRATED TO THE TOPIC OF STALLS AND THE APPREHENSION OF SOME INSTRUCTORS TO FULLY EXPLORE STALLS WITH THEIR STUDENTS. IT WOULD SEEM THIS RELUCTANCE IS MAYBE MORE ABOUT A LACK OF CONFIDENCE. The discussion then migrated to spins, a debate as to how many RAAus instructors might have never experienced a full developed spin and the confusion as to what is actually happening with the aircraft in a spin.

HOUSTON – WE HAVE A PROBLEM!

I come from a GA background and have considerable gliding experience. GA doesn’t mandate spins beyond incipient spins for pilots; gliding does – the Blanik does a fantastic stabilised spin. If a GA pilot ventures to aerobatics, spins are then included. So I asked myself the question. If I was apprehensive about completing a stall in an aircraft type, should I really be flying it as pilot in command? And should I be flying the aircraft as instructor in command? I believe the answer would be ‘no’ in both cases. So here are a few items to consider.

AIRSPEED

Airspeed is controlled primarily by the elevator or longitudinal control position for a given configuration and power. Conversely, airspeed can be affected by power at a given configuration and AoA. If an aircraft’s speed is too slow, the AoA required for level flight will be so large the air can no longer follow the upper curvature of the wing. The result is a separation of airflow from the wing, loss of lift, a large increase in drag and eventually a stall if the AoA is not reduced. The stall is the result of excessive AoA - not insufficient airspeed. For example, at a 60° banked turn in level coordinated flight, the load factor is 2Gs and the stall speed increases 40 percent over the straight and level stall speed. A stall can occur at any airspeed, in any attitude and at any power setting.

A stall can occur at any airspeed, in ng any at titude and at any power setti

STALL/SPIN EFFECTS

A stall is a loss of lift and increase in drag which occurs when an aircraft is flown at an angle of attack (AoA) greater than the angle for maximum lift. If recovery from a stall is not affected in a timely and appropriate manner by reducing the AoA, a secondary stall and/or a spin may result. All spins are preceded by a stall on part of the wing. The angle of the relative airflow is determined primarily by the aircraft’s airspeed and attitude. Other factors are considered, such as weight, centre of gravity, configuration and the amount of acceleration used in a turn. The speed at which the critical angle of the relative airflow is exceeded is the stall speed. Stall speeds are listed in Pilot Operating Handbooks and pertain to certain conditions or aircraft configurations, e.g., landing. Other specific operational speeds are calculated based upon the aircraft’s stall speed in the landing configuration. Airspeed values specified in the POH may vary under different circumstances. Factors such as weight, centre of gravity, altitude, temperature, turbulence and the presence of snow, ice or frost on the wings, will affect an aircraft’s stall speed. To thoroughly understand the stall/spin phenomenon, some basic factors affecting aircraft aerodynamics and flight should be reviewed with particular emphasis on their relation to stall speeds. Remember this important point: An aircraft stalls at a given angle of attack, not an airspeed.

ANGLE OF ATTACK

As you no doubt read in Rob Knight’s excellent series in Sport Pilot on stalls, the AoA is the angle at which the chord line of the wing meets the relative wind. The chord line is a straight line drawn through the profile of the wing connecting the extremities of the leading edge and trailing edge. The AoA must be small enough to allow laminar airflow over and under the aerofoil to produce lift. A change in AoA will affect the amount of lift produced. Consequently, AoA is an element of lift. An excessive AoA will disrupt the flow of air over the aerofoil. If the AoA is not reduced, a section of the aerofoil will reach its critical AoA, lose lift and stall. Exceeding the critical AoA for a particular aerofoil section will always result in a stall of that section.

CONFIGURATION

Flaps, landing gear and other configuring devices, can affect an aircraft’s stall speed. Extension of flaps and/or landing gear in flight will increase drag. Flap extension will generally increase the lifting ability of the wings, thus reducing the stall speed. The effect of flaps on stall speed can be seen by markings on the airspeed indicator, where the lower airspeed limit of the white arc (power-off stall speed with gear and flaps in the landing configuration) is less than the lower airspeed limit of the green arc (power-off stall speed in the clean configuration).

STALL RECOGNITION

There are several ways to recognise a stall is imminent before it actually occurs. But before we look at the symptoms, we should also look at scenarios in which they are likely to claim lives. The stretched glide, the unbalanced turn, the low and slow approach, overbanking turns and the mismanaged go-around are all places where the symptoms can be prevalent but well-hidden. One indication of a stall is a mushy feeling in the controls and less control effect as speed is reduced. This reduction in control effectiveness is attributed in part to reduced airflow over the control surfaces. In fixed pitch propeller aircraft, a loss of RPM may be evident when approaching a stall in power-on conditions. For both aircraft and gliders, there’s also often a reduction in the sound of air flowing along the fuselage. Just before the stall occurs, there might be buffeting, uncontrollable pitching or vibrations. Many aircraft are equipped with stall warning devices which will alert you approximately four to eight knots before the onset of the stall. Finally, kinaesthesia (the sensing of changes in direction or speed of motion), when properly learned and developed, can warn the pilot of a decrease in speed or the beginning of a mushing of the aircraft.

46 / SPORT PILOT


ou out These preliminary indications serve as warnings to the pilot to increase airspeed by adding power, lowering the nose, and/or decreasing the angle of bank. Increasing back pressure without a pitch response, increasing sink rate and the control stick close to the stall stick position, are also certain giveaways for the impending stall. When one or more of these indicators is noted, recovery should be instinctive (unless a full stall is being practiced intentionally from an altitude which allows recovery at least 2,000ft above ground level).

TYPES OF SPINS

An incipient spin is that portion of a spin from the time the aircraft stalls and rotation starts, until the spin becomes fully developed. Incipient spins, which are not allowed to develop into a steady state spin, are commonly used as an introduction to spin training and recovery techniques. A fully developed spin occurs when the aircraft angular rotation rate, airspeed and vertical speed are stabilised from turn-to-turn in a flightpath close to vertical. A flat spin is characterised by a near level pitch and roll attitude with the spin axis near the CG of the aircraft. Recovery from a flat spin may be extremely difficult and, in some cases, impossible.

SPIN RECOVERY

Before flying any aircraft, in which spins are to be conducted, be familiar with the characteristics and standard operating procedures, including spin recovery techniques, specified in the POH. The first step in recovering from an upright spin is to close the throttle completely to eliminate power and minimise the loss of altitude. The next step is to neutralise the ailerons, determine the direction of the turn and apply full opposite rudder. When the rotation slows, briskly move the elevator control forward to the neutral position. Some aircraft require merely a relaxation of back pressure; others require full forward elevator control pressure. Forward movement of the elevator control will decrease the AoA. Once the stall is broken, the spinning will stop. Neutralise the rudder when the spinning stops to avoid entering a spin in the opposite direction. When the rudder is neutralised, gradually apply enough back-elevator pressure to return to level flight. Too much or abrupt back pressure and/or application of rudder and ailerons during the recovery can result in a secondary stall and possibly another spin. The engine will sometimes stop developing power due to centrifugal force acting on the fuel in the tanks, causing fuel interruption. It is, therefore, recommended when practicing spin recovery, to assume power will not available. As a rough estimate, an altitude loss of approximately 500ft per each three-second turn can be expected. Greater losses can be expected at higher density altitudes.

SPIRAL MODE RECOVERY

The spiral mode is an autorotation mode similar to a spin. The centre of rotation is close to the centreline but the aircraft is not stalled. Many aircraft and gliders will not spin at forward CG locations but will spiral. Many aircraft will enter a spin, but the spin will become more vertical and degenerate into a spiral. It is important to note that when the spin transitions into the spiral the airspeed will increase as the nose goes down to near vertical. The aerodynamic stress forces on the aircraft build very rapidly and recovery must be affected immediately before the structural limits of the aircraft are exceeded. Release the back pressure on the stick, neutralise the rudder, ensure the wings are level and gently recover from the dive. As in the spin recovery, avoid abrupt or excessive elevator inputs which could lead to a secondary stall or structural overload. “A student comfortable with unusual attitudes is far less likely to panic in a bad situation”.

WHY DOES A STALL OCCUR?

Stalls depend only on angle of attack, not airspeed. However, the slower an airplane goes, the more angle of attack it needs to produce lift equal to the weight. As the speed decreases further, at some point this angle will exceed the critical angle of attack.

ARE BOTH WINGS STALLED IN A SPIN?

At the point of stall, before yaw toward the stalled wing occurs, the lower wing may stall first and deepen its stalled state due to its higher drag and loss of lift. The upward going wing may reduce its angle of attack on initial rotation, even unstalling itself. Spins are characterised by exceeding the critical angle of attack, developed rotation about the vertical axis, with airspeed stabilised in the developed spin but resulting in an uncontrolled descent.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SPIN AND A SPIRAL?

A spin is a stalled, constant-airspeed condition where at least one wing is stalled and producing substantially reduced lift. Since the lower wing is in a deeper stall than the high wing, the airplane rotates around its vertical, lateral and longitudinal axis making it look and feel similar to a spiral dive. In a spiral dive the wing is not stalled. The autorotation is about the lateral and longitudinal axis only. A spiral dive is not a type of spin, because neither wing is stalled.

HOW DO YOU RECOVER FROM A STALL?

In all situations, it is necessary to recover from a stall before applying any other recovery actions. To recover from the stall, the angle of attack must be reduced below the stalling angle. Nose-down pitch control must be applied and maintained until the wings are unstalled.

HOW DO YOU RECOVER FROM A SPIN?

The POH is the primary reference for recovery from a spin for a specific aircraft, but the following can be used as a general procedure: 1. P - Power. Retard the throttle to idle. In most aircraft, power hampers recovery; 2. A - Ailerons neutral; 3. R - Apply full opposite rudder; 4. E - Apply forward elevator; 5. D - Recover from the dive.

OPINION

Should full spin experience be mandatory for all instructors, including RAAus? I believe it should. I can already hear the echo of the opponents “spinning RAAus aircraft is not permitted”. That is a known limitation of RAAus operations within the CAOs and aircraft design limitations. But there are aerobatic schools around the country and gliding clubs which can offer the spin experience. Glider pilots are required to do an annual Flight Review which includes spinning. All instructors at the RAAus flight training school where I operate have had a full spin experience.

OPERATIONS COMMENT:

Professor Avius raises a very important subject here and Operations continues to review spin awareness and unusual attitude recovery knowledge and skills with RAAus instructors. We look forward to your responses. Pilots are reminded that intentional spinning is prohibited in RAAus aircraft. Operations urges all pilots and instructors to undertake additional awareness training with qualified instructors in suitably rated aircraft. The RAAus Operations Manual Section 3.02 paragraph 5 actually requires RAAus members to recover a stall by 3000 ft AGL unless flying with a CFI.

47 / SPORT PILOT


RI GH T S EA T A N E CDOT E S

Comments on stalls BY DAVID P. E Y RE

PROFESSOR AVIUS’ EXCELLENT ARTICLE ON STALLING GOES A LONG WAY TO EXPLAINING THE STALL TO STUDENTS AND INEXPERIENCED PILOTS.

T

HERE are, indeed, many pilots who are wary of stalls. This can be a good thing. Such pilots will never allow the aircraft to get close to a stall. On the other hand, instructors cannot exercise duty of care if they themselves are reluctant to stall and do not allow the student to truly experience stalls and effective recovery techniques. Considering the factors affecting the stall speed, I would add rigging of an aircraft and baggy wings in the case of fabric covered wings. Throughout the stall, what happens to the airflow under the wing? My supposition is that there is a slight dynamic push-up effect, but this has no significance on the main driver of the stall being the turbulent airflow over the upper wing surface.

The professor’s stall recognition points are well written, but to emphasise the dangers of overbanking, I would add ‘particularly when turning onto final’. I am aware of some fatal accidents happening when the pilot overbanks the turn and either stalls or spiral dives into the unforgiving earth. The article refers to ‘increasing the power to increase the airspeed’ A pilot must be aware that the application of power before the aircraft is stalled will only drive the nose up and, unless this nose up pitch is prevented, lead to exceeding the stalling angle. Also, power should never be applied while the aircraft is in a stalled state. Doing this may drive the nose up to an attitude less than 45 degrees to level, increase the gyroscopic forces, cause the aircraft to yaw and thus enter that fatal manoeuvre of a flat spin.

48 / SPORT PILOT

A recent letter to the Editor in Sport Pilot advocated that if the aircraft is in a flat spin, the power should be increased and decreased along with forward and back movement of the stick to set up a rocking manoeuvre to recover. Please do not be fooled into such a manoeuvre. The professor asks ‘should full spin experience be mandatory for all instructors?” Obviously, the answer is yes, but this may be impracticable. Perhaps we should say ‘is highly recommended.’ Finally, although the article is about stalls, remember, an aircraft will not spin unless it is first stalled.

DON’T MESS WITH SPINS

David welcomes your own aviation anecdotes. Email them to editor@sportpilot.net.au


LEAR TE CHNTA ING L K TO FL Y

First time out of the circuit BY MARTIN C A STELL A

L

Track: Aldinga-Milang Training Area-Aldinga

W

ith the last available funds from the RAAus scholarship waiting to be spent, I took another lesson soon after my last one to keep up progress. When I arrived at Adelaide Biplanes, CFI Karl asked “What would you like to do today?” Since I’ve spent much of my training in the circuit, with occasional forays out over the ocean training area for stalls and turning practice, I chose to head away from base. Karl suggested the Milang training area, just over 20nms inland to the south west past Goolwa (SA). He pointed out our route on the chart, the landmarks we’d be looking for, flight levels, potential emergency landing zones, changing radio frequencies and calls we’d be making along the way, and so on. After 20 minutes of preamble, I checked over the SportStar and readied for departure. We heard from returning pilots and instructors in the Adelaide Biplanes office (arguably Australia’s best airfield office/restaurant/café, favourited by car bike and social clubs etc. If you’ve not visited, you must) that winds were variable everywhere from 500ft to 5,000ft, so I made sure bags and other loose items were safely located, lest they get tossed about. We rolled using Runway 32, and for my first time I made the call “Aldinga traffic SportStar 5571 departing overhead one thousand seven hundred, climbing three thousand five hundred, tracking one zero zero south west direct Milang training area Aldinga”. Not a biggie for most pilots but an exciting moment for this low hour student.

Under a hot sky we pointed the aircraft toward far off Milang, CFI Karl highlighting relevant details at each phase of flight: the steady climb on speed, ensure we accurately tracked 100, FREDA checks, the previously discussed landmarks, focusing on geographical points in the distance (a hilltop, distinctive cloud shape or such), relevant indicators and numbers on the dash. In that part of South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula there are miles of picturesque vineyards, then low grass areas mixed with dry patches which radiate heat. The Evektor SportStar SL is a beautiful little airplane to fly, nimble and responsive yet comfortable despite the frequent bouncing around from variable winds and the sink/lift effects of thermals on a hot day over patchy terrain. I did the flying while Karl worked the radio, changing frequencies as we crossed over into Goolwa airspace. Then he prompted me to make the calls. Turns out changing radio frequencies is simple, swapping to the alternative set frequency a touch of a button. Once over the Milang training area, he explained the emergency landing procedure, looking for wind direction tell-tale signs in the greenery and reading the water surface of the meandering Finniss River below us, and to aim to manoeuvre the SportStar so as ideally to land into wind. Then he pulled the throttle to idle and said “OK – engine’s dead. Where are you going to land?” We descended to 500ft as if in a real emer49 / SPORT PILOT

gency, ensuring we maintained 60kts TAS, and adding one stage of flap to help slow down once over the start of the paddock we’d selected for the emergency landing. Once confident I’d have been able to attempt the landing, he called out “OK – power up” and away we climbed and aimed for home. On the reverse direction, we climbed to 4,300ft and tracked north west 280 degrees, making the relevant radio calls along the way. Karl again called out the landmarks – this time on the opposite side of the aircraft – and once at altitude and on track, instructed me to aim for a peak far off in the horizon directly aligned with our destination. It’s such simple tips as this which make a flight more accurate, with less emphasis on the gauges and more on what’s outside the cabin. This way we also devote more time to enjoying the view. After a (too short!) while I made the “inbound one zero miles to Aldinga” call, and rejoined the circuit under instruction. My landing was plain vanilla, and we taxied direct to the hangar to park the Sporty at the end of its flying day. My first outof-area-with-instructor flight regrettably over. I’m deeply thankful to RAAus and principal sponsors Airservices Australia and OzRunways for the generous scholarship, which added several hours to my logbook and more experience as I move closer to my goal of an RPL, part ownership of an RAAus aircraft, and flying with a passenger intra- and interstate. Find out more about the scholarships available and the sponsors here: http://www.raaus.org/.


R EAD ER STORY

Resurrecting the Sonerai BY LUKE BAYLY

Luke recounted the tale of how he came to buy a Sonerai in Sport Pilot November 2017.

50 / SPORT PILOT


R EAD ER STORY

WITH THE INITIAL EXCITEMENT OF BUYING A NEW AIRPLANE (OR FIRST ONE FOR THAT MATTER) SLOWLY WEARING OFF, THE MAGNITUDE OF REPAIRS REQUIRED TO GET THE SONERAI FLYING AGAIN HAD SLOWLY DAWNED ON ME.

I

t is one thing, while at the airfield with cheque in hand, to make a quick assessment of the time and costs associated with getting an airplane flying again. But it’s an entirely different prospect once it is in the hangar and you start pulling bits off. My first question was what I could do myself and what would require a professional? One quick phone call to RAAus Technical Manager, Darren Barnfield, got me confirmation that, with my L1 qualification and the aircraft registered in the 19 category, I could go my hardest on anything except major changes to the structural or aerodynamic characteristics of the aircraft. So I put together a laundry list of things I could see needed attention. Then, as with the process of ‘how to eat an elephant’, I took my first bite and then another. The obvious starting point was the dead electrical system. Flipping all manner of switches could not bring the panel to life and, after ensuring the battery was charged, it was down to a multi-meter to find the fault. Eventually, my investigation led me to a grounded wire from the circuit breaker to the frame of the aircraft, which was causing the problem. After rectifying that issue, moving some switches, testing the breakers and tidying up the spaghetti tangle of wires, the rear panel was ready to go. The next issue was the fuel system which had some leaks, as well as layout problems.

This required a careful check of the system’s ability to hold pressure and a re-design of some of the tap styles and locations for functionality. There are some basic rules to fuel systems within aircraft, such as ensuring the flow remains mostly downhill to limit any collection points for bubbles. The lines should also be as straight as possible. Once the fuel system was completed, I ran some tests to determine the flow rates for both gravity feed and pump to ensure I would achieve the minimum recommended flow rates for the engine type (based on manufacturer recommendations). With the fuel and electrical system sorted, as well as a few other basic checks, it was time to see if the engine would fire or whether I had bought myself an expensive boat anchor. I wheeled the aircraft out of the shed, tied the tail down to a steel post and enlisted the help of my father-in-law to man the controls in case something went wrong. After priming the aircraft as per the operating manual, I set about the task of hand-propping the plane. With several attempts (I would estimate 40), the engine finally roared to life in my backyard and drew every kid within two blocks to hang off the fence gawking at the airplane. After 30 seconds of pure adrenalin, noise and elation, I shut the engine off to minimise the number of complaints from the neighbours. Although brief, this was enough to prove the airplane was one step closer to flying and give me the motivation to continue on with the build.

51 / SPORT PILOT


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R EAD ER STORY

Resurrecting the Sonerai cont. Engine test completed, the plane was wheeled back into the shed and left overnight, which revealed another problem. I had left the fuel tap on and noticed a small pool of fuel under the throttle body injector. Closer inspection showed there was also fuel sitting in the throat of the intake manifold. The source must be inside the Ellison EFS-2 Unit. I disassembled the fuel metering manifold and traced the leak down to a Grose Jet sitting inside the unit which meters the incoming fuel using two balls instead of a needle and seat. Behind the valve was a perished O-ring, so after several attempts to contact the manufacturer (now out of business), I managed to find a replacement unit which was an improved version of the Ellison design. Installation of the unit seemed straight forward from a mounting perspective, however the control cables required modification. Push vs pull for mixture and a different location for the throttle requiring some additional mounting to be manufactured. After a few weeks of fiddling and verifying operation of the new layout, the TBI unit was finally installed and ready to test. Not wanting to startle the neighbors again, I decided the best course of action would be to attend the local Mackay Aero Comp day at the Palmyra airfield and use the opportunity to start it up for a longer period, as well as show off my new toy. To get the plane to the field, I had purchased an old flatbed trailer which only just fit within the plane’s requirements. After stripping it back, re-enforcing the structure and laying a plywood bed, it was ready to travel. Attending the local day was a great opportunity to talk with fellow aviators about their experience maintaining aircraft and generate discussion or ideas around what my next steps could be.

One of the final hurdles to get the plane in the air will be construction of a cooling plenum in order to direct the airflow across the engine heads, ensuring the magnesium cased VW engine does not melt during flight. I am hoping that by careful design of a plenum, instead of a fence baffle, will ensure the airflow is directed to where it needs to be, instead of allowing it to find its own way through the engine bay. This will probably be the most difficult part of the restoration process due to the complexities of the VW layout. Once finished, and with a thorough inspection completed on the controls and flying surfaces, the Sonerai should be ready to test fly. As I near the completion of the aircraft, I will be in contact with RAAus again to help me through the process of getting the paperwork required for the necessary permits and documentation. The team is always very friendly, helpful and keen to see me get into the air as quickly and safely as possible.

53 / SPORT PILOT


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SO YOU’VE HAD A CLOSE CALL? Why not share your story so that others can learn from it too? If we publish it, we’ll give you $500. Email us at fsa@casa.gov.au Articles should be between 450 and 1000 words. If preferred, your identity will be kept confidential. If you have video footage, feel free to submit this with your close call.

Please do not submit articles regarding events that are the subject of a current official investigation. Submissions may be edited for clarity, length and reader focus.

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HOM E B UIL D ER

Changes for the sake of safety

T H E B E S T B I T S ABOU T BU ILDIN G YOU R OWN BY DAVE EDMUND S

I

n 2017, the ATSB recorded 5,612 incidents, accidents and serious incidents, not including those occurring to the recreational aircraft fleet. While the database is quite comprehensive, it does not directly provide the cause of the incidents. This has to be inferred. Looking at just January, I inferred that around a quarter of the accidents and incidents were caused by equipment failure which, in this fleet would be due to the failure of certified equipment. The majority of these failures were of equipment that the pilots had no trouble working around, such as a radio or an instrument failure, but there were more serious incidents such as landing gear failure. All equipment fitted to general aviation aircraft has to be certified through a two-step process. Firstly, the equipment must conform to a Technical Service Order (TSO) and then, as part of the aircraft certification, it must be listed as part of the aircraft equipment. It is possible for an owner or equipment manufacturer to obtain a Supplementary Type Certificate (STC) to allow the subsequent fitting of equipment not included in the certification. For example, Garmin produces the G5, a solid-state instrument designed to replace the old vacuum-driven directional gyro and artificial horizon. The G5 has been certified via an STC for installation into 560 different types. The instrument is primarily aimed at aircraft such as Cessna 172 and 150. It costs USD$2,149. In order for Garmin to comply with the requirements of the TSO, it had to show that the device complied with a software standard, could cope with lightning and a High Intensity Radiated Field, (HIRF). Each of these and other requirements are subject to separate certification standards defined by other bodies. There is also a Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) required. No wonder it costs USD$2,149, for something that, if produced for a consumer market, should cost around $200. Since 2010, around five and half billion smartphones using the Google Android operating system have been sold, and perhaps one tenth as many iPhones. Both of these operating systems are built on the very stable Unix operating system. Smartphones have consumer compliance requirements, they have to work for some years or you can ask for your money back. Many endure a lifetime of abuse that makes a simple lightning strike seem trivial. As readers will know, prices start at around $100, and for this you get all of the hardware necessary to implement a compass and artificial horizon. And, as discussed last month, with some additional hardware, you can add ADSB data to your navigational software. It is not possible to directly compare equipment such as the Garmin with a tablet or smartphone application, but it is possible to conclude that both are in a different league to the older analog equipment. Remember how the vacuum-driven devices used to topple and precess as you flew, requiring you to reset them from time to time. Remember the cage knob you had to press when they went completely haywire. For comparison, consider the duty cycle of your mobile phone, its treatment and the number of times it has failed over, say the past four years of continuous operation. When was the last time you had to cage something to get your phone to start working again? The invention of the tablet and smartphone, and their impact on aviation, have sort of been acknowledged.

Airservices acknowledges the use of a tablet with additional hardware to access ADSB data, and the use of tablets for navigation. RAAus recently published an excellent guide to the use of tablet-based navigation systems and the associated rules. The existing rules for TSO equipment do not work well with electronics for light aircraft. For example, there are not many basic designs for GPS receivers. A manufacturer of integrated electronics, such as Apple or Garmin, buys the silicon plan for a GPS from a custom designer and then assembles a chip which includes the GPS design and perhaps a host of other functionality, some of which is designed in house, and some purchased from bespoke designers. This particular piece of silicon is then integrated into a design with more bits of silicon. There are several layers of software required to make the whole thing work, some of which is embedded permanently in the silicon. The digital design is then sent to a silicon foundry for manufacture, the first in a long line of processes leading to the completed device. This is a far cry from the way in which, say, an analog altimeter is designed and produced. In previous articles, I have described the minefield around just what you can change on your certified recreational aircraft when, in theory, you can change nothing. The implementation of trivial changes which enhance safety, such as the addition of an instrument, or tuning the ducting over your cylinder heads are as problematic as changing your engine. There are processes to certify your changes and RAAus has worked to build this process, but I have no doubt many relatively trivial changes are made, not only to our aircraft, but to those in the GA fleet, without the requisite permissions. The regulations around the changes to recreational aircraft and the attitude to electronic devices share quite a lot in common. The rules which are in place in both cases are understandable from a bureaucratic point of view, they transfer accountability to the pilot, but these rules also compromise safety. I have written long and hard about the safety compromise concerning the use of navigational software on tablet computers and about the problematic rules concerning relatively trivial changes to our aircraft which do not compromise the flying characteristics or weight and balance, so won’t repeat the arguments here. It would not seem to be beyond human capability to design a process to run in parallel with the exiting MARAP process whereby aircraft owners could notify RAAus of changes to their aircraft that do not affect flight performance, or incorporate changes a manufacturer may have made to a later version of their aircraft. The time is overdue for us, as recreational flyers, to promote a system of regulation with safety, cost and innovation at its centre. These were the drivers behind our organisation in the first place.

ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT WATCH

The stories are now coming so thick and fast, that my occasional reference to some advance has been overwhelmed. There are stories in the press about both Airbus and Boeing, along with a host of other big players such as Rolls Royce and Siemens, experimenting with electric propulsion. It is beyond the scope of these articles to describe what is happening, but the pace of movement of the aviation giants into this space over just a few years is quite astonishing. At the light end of the aviation market, check out the air taxi being funded by Google founder, Larry Page. Battery capacity remains the major problem, but the research dollars being thrown at the problem are delivering results.

55 / SPORT PILOT


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5039 RANS COYOTE II S6ES

5223 X-AIR 3194

575.6 Airframe Hours, 575.6 Engine Hours, Factory built 2007. Excellent condition. All AD’s up-to-date. Glass cockpit: Dynon D100 EFIS, AvMap EKP IV, GPS, Sentient AirNav GPS touch screen. Lots of extras. Hangered at Warwick (Qld). Phone (after-hours) 0438 66 3371. PRICE $70,000 ono CONTACT Gwenith Tyburczy 0421 322 618 5334 JABIRU J200 19-5073

270 Airframe Hours, 270 Engine Hours, S-6ES Coyote II Registered till June 2017. Rotax 582 UL engine 260hrs. New BRS recovery chute installed December 2015. Large roomy cockpit with sliding seats. Folding wings for easy storage/trailering. All VFR instruments. Search Youtube for “Tuflux RANS Coyote”. PRICE $22,000 CONTACT Gordon Bailey 0409 348 293

450 Airframe Hours, 450 Engine Hours, X-Air X-Air 3194 Excellent Condition 450 Hours TT.E/ AF Always Hangered Rego October 2018 Rotax 503 Engine Performs well 3 Blade Brolga Prop. Reluctant sale due to health reasons PRICE $8,000 CONTACT Ron(03) 5382 4766 5231 ACROLITE 1B

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342 Airframe Hours, 342 Engine Hours, 1996 Updated electric actuators and Tundra wheels and tyres. Brand new icon A210. Needs some work on the tail-wheel for water landings. Condition report included. Registered until September 2018 Contact: Evan 0409 660 716 Email: bluepeace24@yahoo.com.au PRICE $29,000 CONTACT Ivan Lizarralde 0409 660 716 5415 HANGAR FOR SALE - HUNTER VALLEY

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2149 Airframe Hours, 445 Engine Hours, LSA 55/3j Jabiru LSA 55/3j Easy and fun to fly. Good condition L2 maintained, solid, factory built aircraft. Cruises at 95-100kts, 12-13L/hr fuel burn, 65L tank. MTOW 430kg, EW 248.3kg. Always Hangered (YBCM), full aircraft covers provided. PRICE $26,000 CONTACT Anthony Elms 0403 777 852 5454 WANTED - WIZARD 3 HANG GLIDER WING

24-8415 78.4 Airframe Hours, 78.4 Engine Hours, Eurofox 3K 100Hp Rotax ULS Engine & new DUC Prop. Dynon SkyView 10” EFIS with full Engine Monitoring and Synthetic Vision, second GPS (Garmin Aera 500) in panel and Garmin VHF COM. Always hangared and presents like new. PRICE $110,000 CONTACT Tony Brand (03) 5381 1727 5461 JABIRU 430

5431 ASAP BEAVER Wanted - Wizard 3 hang glider wing for trike, any condition. CONTACT Glenn Stallard 0434 558 038 103 Airframe Hours, nil Engine Hours, Beaver Rotax 447 103 hours total. 0 Hours since Flood update.Unregistered. Can be viewed in Glen Iris by appointment. PRICE $4,000 CONTACT Christopher Large 0438 882 492

5457 HEADSETS

5442 LOW HOURS CATALINA LSA 24-8662

Micro avionics UL-200 VOX ( voice activated) headsets x 2. New-Used once. Purchased for open cockpit but not suitable without face helmet. Bargain at $800 for both.Note: BRS SOLD PRICE $800 CONTACT Ian Holmes 0409 156 931

823 Airframe Hours, 10 Engine Hours, J430 4 seat Jabiru J430, 823 hours airframe, 10 hrs on new engine, Jabiru 6 Cylinder Gen 4, excellent condition, always hangared. Glass cockpit, 2 x MGL Voyager EFIS, back up batteries, fuel flow monitor. Full engine monitoring, spare prop, covers PRICE $100,000 CONTACT Andrew Straume 0457 857 578 5462 AIRBORNE MICROLIGHT

5458 HANGARS HOLBROOK AIRFIELD 35 Airframe Hours, 35 Engine Hours, Catalina NG The Fly Synthesis Catalina NG seaplane is an economic & safe entry to the wonderful world of seaplane flying. It’s probably the easiest seaplane to fly and store, with its folding wings. With 5 hr. water training and balance of factory warranty. PRICE $78,800 CONTACT Greg Doyle 0400 114 747

Hangars at Holbrook Airpark. Freehold Title blocks (18m X 18m) or new Hangar and blocks available. Serviced by sealed taxiways. Blocks only available from $25,000. PRICE $25,000 CONTACT John Ferguson 0413 990 400

57 / SPORT PILOT

20 Airframe Hours, 20 Engine Hours, Classic Microlight for sale. New engine, just run in 20 hours old. Upgraded wing from original wizard wing to Streak 1. Many extras. Includes travel fuel panieres, helmets, radio. Log books available. Excellent condition. PRICE $15,000 CONTACT Martin Braatz 0417 896 342


A VI A TION CLASSIFIED S

5468 TECNAM BRAVO AND FAMILY HOME FOR SALE

1199.8 Airframe Hours, 1199 Engine Hours, TREE change that includes an awesome aircraft as well! Tecnam Bravo with low hours and five bedroom family home, three bathrooms. Large undercover entertainment area with huge workshop. Offers over $495,000 considered. PRICE $495,000 CONTACT Wayne Dillon 0438 551 198 5477 FAETA 321 GLIDER TOW, NOSE WHEEL

24-8279 380 Airframe Hours, 380 Engine Hours, Faeta 321 Fabulous factory built LSA glider tow up to 750kg, panel is a Six pack plus EFIS, transponder. Economical tourer at 115 knots. L2 maintained. ken.flower747@gmail.com PRICE $85,000 CONTACT Kenneth Flower 0457 811 627 5478 QUICKSILVER GT500

SOLD

400 Airframe Hours, 400 Engine Hours, GT 500 This fun and cheap to run aircraft is only 400 hrs TTIS, full instruments, radio, runs great with spare new exhaust. Priced for quick sale Contact ken.flower747@gmail.com. PRICE $14,450 CONTACT Kenneth Ian Flower 0457 811 627 5479 KITFOX PROJECT

5480 CHEETAH XLS

150 Airframe Hours, 150 Engine Hours, Cheetah xls Great aircraft PRICE $25,000 CONTACT Nathan Ferguson 0429 889 985

MEMBERS’ MARKET ADS CAN NOW ALSO BE PLACED ONLINE. VISIT AVIATION CLASSIFIEDS.COM.AU

5486 PIONEER 300 KITE

890 Airframe Hours, 890 Engine Hours, 300 A Pioneer 300 Kite available for sale. The aircraft is in excellent condition with only 890 hours since new. It has dual Eclipse IFIS system; 110L fuel capacity (3 tanks); Garmin Transponder & Radio; AV MAP EXP V 7” GPS. New DUC prop; factory built. Phone number not provided PRICE $95,000 CONTACT David Mackay 5487 AEROCHUTE DUAL

Advertising rates start at $33 (incl GST) per month for online advertising. You can include up to 5 photos and 1000 words of text online. Advertising rates include an ad in Sport Pilot Magazine

5482 SKYFOX GAZELLE

1404 Airframe Hours, 1404 Engine Hours, Great aircraft with nothing to spend New tyres, perspex roof replaced, New 2 blade Bolly Prop, G/box Overhauled 2017. All books included.. Folding Wings for easy storage. Hangared in Finniss SA. PRICE $30,000 CONTACT Brian Stott 0410 401 139

166.1 Airframe Hours, 166.1 Engine Hours, Dual Aerochute and trailer, Raywil flight control “sticks”, Extra intake and exhaust mufflers,Garmin12 GPS,Radio, Intercom and headsets,Flight suits, helmets,Vinyl cover, All maintenance up to date, Very tidy aircraft. PRICE $10,850 CONTACT Ernest Thrush 0400 658 891 5488 RANS S-6ES

5483 JABIRU J230-D

553 Airframe Hours, 553 Engine Hours, Supersport Taildragger Kitfox for sale. Aircraft was blown over in a wind storm damaging wings. Wings have had aileron mod fitted and have not been covered. All covering materials supplied. PRICE $15000 CONTACT Graham Horton 0407 267 647

94 Airframe Hours, 94 Engine Hours, J230-D JABIRU J230-D PRICE $69,000 CONTACT Armando Papallo phone number not provided

58 / SPORT PILOT

27 Airframe Hours, 68 Engine Hours, RANS S-6ES New - just finished/test-flown. Airframe 27 hours, Rotax 912/80hp 68 h. New Warp-Drive 3-bla. Pull-on skins, big tyre option, brakes both sides. Icom A200 rad./ Sig. intercom. ASI/Alt/Vsi etc. 85/90 kt cruise. PRICE $52,500 CONTACT John Lindner 0448 497 989


A VI A TION CLASSIFIED S

5490 PIPISTREL

5495 ZENITH CH601XLB AIRCRAFT

112.2 Airframe Hours, 112.2 Engine Hours, Sinus Always hangared and covered Fully passed certified condition report available on contact with seller. Minor accident damage repaired by manufacturer to new standard in 2003,a pleasure to fly Located in Goulburn NSW PRICE $75,000 CONTACT Bruce Etheridge 0434 815 430

410 Airframe Hours, 410 Engine Hours, CH601XLB Zenith CH601XLB aircraft. Honda Viking HF110 engine with Warp Drive 3 blade ground adjustable prop. Dynon Skyview avionics including mode S transponder. Garmin GT200 radio and backup flight instruments. Great for touring. Easy and cheap to maintain. PRICE $49,000 CONTACT Raymond White 0408 690 523

5491 ESQUAL AIRCRAFT

5502 2014 WEDGETAIL AIRCRAFT COUGAR

5496 ENGINE FOR SALE ROTAX 912ULS S/N 5647791 New at April 2007. Fully serviceable. 650 hours since new. TBO 2,000. PRICE $9,900 CONTACT Brian Shadler 0423 830 739

62 Airframe Hours, 62hrs Engine Hours, Cougar Formally Morgan Aeroworks. This aircraft is one of very few kit built aircraft of it’s class antwhere in Australia. It is equipped with everything that you could imagine: Honda Viking Engine 110Hp (Uses between 18-20LPH of 98 Fuel) 110L Fuel Capacity with 8 hrs Endurance PRICE $100,000 CONTACT Frankie Bailey 0468 713 545 5505 T-LITE MICROLIGHT

5497 HANGAR , APRON, BUILDING AND LAND 140 Airframe Hours, 140 Engine Hours, Vm1 Esqual Vm1 PRICE $65,000 CONTACT Walter Hudson 0428 469 416 5493 XT 912 MICROLIGHT TRIKE Freehold title land area15.625m2 apron 3600m2 hangar 1694m2 clubhouse with kitchen, enclosed BBQ area, offices, store rooms, bar caravan park with 3 phase power CONTACT Grietje Bruinsma-Wansink 0408 244 035 5501 AIRCRAFT 23-8806 474 Airframe Hours, 474 Engine Hours, XT912 2009 Airborne XT912 Tundra with Arrow K wing with only 71 hrs on wing. Excellent condition. Includes 2 Flycom Helmets, Training bars, bar mits, wing & trike covers & trike trolley. PRICE $27,950 CONTACT Paul Cesnik 0418 114 443 5494 J6C KARATOO (5494.PNG)

350 Airframe Hours, 350 Engine Hours, J230D For Sale Jabiru J-230D PRICE $97,000 CONTACT Bill Haynes 0429 054 205

65 Airframe Hours, 65 Engine Hours, T-Lite april 2015 model 65 hours parachute mount and parachute container included spare batten tips special service tool for tightening pulley belt instruments-vario, PPT, radio (vertex), airspeed indicator front disk brakes up to date log books maintainence manuals pilot operating handbook parts catologue 168 core wing blue/ red stripe under polini 190 engine RAAus rego 8609 PRICE $14,000 CONTACT Stephen Wilson 0401 861 129 5506 SAPHIRE 755 Airframe Hours, 30 Engine Hours, Saphire Number 5 Build.First Reg 1985.KFM powered. Still full flying order and condition.Low hours air frame and current engine.Delight to Fly.Sale is age related.Three spare KFM motors and components included. Along with a complete Engine tool dismantle and rebuild Manufacturers kit. PRICE $7,000 CONTACT H Macaulay phone number not provided

HorsHam aviation services ABN: 65 007 339 451

Now Importing the eurofox AircrAft:

149 Airframe Hours, 149 Engine Hours, J6C Home built Karatoo, side-by-side 2 seater, 149 hours total air frame, Subaru EA81 engine. Always hangered. Not currently registered. Must be sold - Dad’s no longer able to fly it. All reasonable offers considered, located at Forbes NSW. PRICE $23,000 CONTACT David Dent 0413 243 243

• • • •

Quality Factory Built Quick folding wing design Glider Tow certified to 750Kg Short take-off & landing

And Dynon Avionics Products:

Graemeswam@gmail.com

59 / SPORT PILOT

0413 374 680

• Now with Autopilot capability • Solid state sensors • Checklists • Audible alarm capability PH: 03 5381 1727 Email: info@horshamaviation.com.au


Gympie Queensland 07 5483 5112 recreationalflyingco.com 60 / SPORT PILOT


A VI A T I ON CL A S S I FIED S

5510 JABIRU LSA 55 3J

5517 2011 KOLB MARK III XTRA WITH ROTAX 912

962 Airframe Hours, 962 Engine Hours, LSA 55 3J currently at YWOL 55-3709, first reg 2002, 962hrs airframe and engine, recent top end overhaul, annual, 100hrly, Xcom radio, Garmin 196, spare prop,Email: ian@ppmc.com.au PRICE $25,000 negotiable CONTACT Ian Wilson 0419 612 305

Mark III Xtra 2011 KOLB Mark III Xtra. 2 place side-by-side, tailwheel with 100 hrs on airframe, 450 hrs on Rotax 912A 80 HP engine. 3 blade Kool prop, ground adjustable. Stall 25 Knotts (half flap)/30 Knotts (no flap), Va 78 Knotts, Vne 87 Knotts, Load Factor +4/-2 G. Climb 1200 f/m solo, 800 f/m dual. 65L fuel tank. MTOW 508 kg. PRICE $28,000 CONTACT Cameron Obst 0427 616 945

5511 HEADSET nil Airframe Hours, nil Engine Hours, nil Varo in-ear headset purchased Feb. 2017. Still under warranty. Didn’t suit me. Might suit you. $350. Phone 0435021261 PRICE $350 CONTACT Michael Baker phone number not provided

5512 JABIRU 160C

5519 ROTAX 447 & 503 Rotax engines (3) for sale to realistic offers: (1). Rotax 447 - 100 hrs TSOH. “B” gearbox, single carb. Requires service, exhaust, spark plugs & few minor parts. Sold “as is”. (2). Rotax 503 DCDI - timex, requires full overhaul. “B” gearbox. Requires exhaust and carbies. Sold “as is”. (3). Rotax 503 DCDI - 110 hrs TT but will increase CONTACT Mustafa Bozkurt 0408 516 816

CACHEKAT Graphic Design for Print and Electronic Commerce

First impressions mean everything, especially when it comes to your business. Grab the attention of potential clients with eye-catching graphics for your marketing branding. materials and brandi Contact Karin Middleton 0429 111 260 karin@cachekat.com

5521 FLIGHTSTAR II-SC

AVIATION INSURANCE EXPERIENCED AVIATION INSURANCE SPECIALISTS

2800 Airframe Hours, 190 Engine Hours, J160 c Factory build 2006 24 rego, was flight training aircraft great plane flys beautiful rebuild motor 190hrs PRICE $40,000 CONTACT Mark Duncan 0419 004 583 5516 FOXBAT A22LS

0 Airframe Hours, nil Engine Hours, II-SC Brand new Flightstar IISC. Fully enclosed cabin, dual controls, custom carpet interior, Falcon instruments, in-flight trim, brakes, mylar coverings. excellent attention to detail. Plane not fitted with an engine, sold as is. PRICE $16,000 CONTACT Adam Pasqualotto 0412 506 242

Stewart Smith, Gladys Smith, and Grant Cerni would like to assist with your Fixed Wing, Helicopter, Hangarkeepers, and Public Liability needs. Grant can also quote you on all other types of business & personal insurance. Our team is friendly & helpful to deal with, and we obtain for you multiple competitive quotes from all suitable insurers. We service clients in all parts of Australia! WE’RE ON YOUR SIDE

5523 RAND X-AIR Cerni Kalser Insurance Pty Ltd t/a Insure Planes

Phone: 03 9816 3264 Email: aviation@insureplanes.com.au Web: www.insureplanes.com.au Stewart Smith 0433 278 700 Gladys Smith 0425 759 322 Grant Cerni 0427 779 649

3,523 Airframe Hours, 1772 Engine Hours, Foxbat A22LS 2010 build. Airframe 3,523 hrs. Engine 1,772 hrs. Very good condition. Analogue instruments with Avmap Ultra EFIS. Yoke controls. Microair transponder and radio. Always hangared. PRICE $57,000 negotiable CONTACT William Davison 0419 632 477

AVIATION FINANCE

204 Airframe Hours, 216 Engine Hours, X-air Australian Rand X-Air Rotax 618 216hrs Good condition full instrumentation ballistic parachute 3blade brolga prop. Phone Murray 0402 401 566 PRICE $13,000 CONTACT David Kille 0402 401 566 61 / SPORT PILOT

Australian Commercial Credit Pty Ltd in affiliation with Phillips Basile Equipment Finance Pty Ltd may be able to assist with funds from prime lenders. Good bank fixed rates, normally over 5 years with security over only the plane. Ring Stewart Smith for an obligation free initial discussion. WE’RE ON YOUR SIDE


A VI A TION CLASSIFIED S

MEMBERS’ MARKET ADS CAN NOW ALSO BE PLACED ONLINE. VISIT AVIATION CLASSIFIEDS.COM.AU 5524 JABIRU SP-T 3300

5528 AIRBORNE XT-912, ARROW S WING LSA

773.1 Hours Airframe Hours, 773.1 Hours Engine Hours, SP-T 3300 Unique SP-T 3300 Tail wheel Jabiru. Very well presented. Pocket Rocket! 2004 build to meticulous standards. 770 total time on airframe and engine. Solid lifter 3300 with fine finned heads. Factory extractors. No CASA restrictions on engine. PRICE $40,000 CONTACT Rory Hicks 0411 769 244

550 Airframe Hours, 550 Engine Hours, XT-912 Airborne XT-912 Arrow S Wing LSA PRICE $33,000 CONTACT Bob Thiemann (07) 5481 2025 or 0418776116 5536 JABIRU J230 PRICE NEGOTIABLE

642.0 Airframe Hours, 30 Engine Hours, Edge X Classic New engine and prop always kept in hangar PRICE $10,000 CONTACT Andrew Foster phone number not provided

5527 SKYFOX GAZELLE CA25

2250 Airframe Hours, 2962 Engine Hours, Gazelle CA25N Skyfox Gazelle CA25N. A/F hrs - 2250. Eng hrs - 2962. Third owner, all A/Ds complied with. Rotax 912. King KT76 mode C transponder, Icom A220 VHF, Av Map digital A/H, Garmin Aera 500 GPS. L2 maintained. Folding wings option. PRICE $38,500 CONTACT Randy Beier (+6) 4275 001296

5539 AIRBORNE EDGE X

5540 BRM BRISTELL

350 Airframe Hours, 350 Engine Hours, J230 Kit built, approx 350 trouble-free hrs. 3 stage electric flaps, Xcom radio, Narco transponder, Garmin 295 GPS, vertical card compass, Whelan beacon and wingtip strobes, Trutrak ADI, alternate flashing landing lights, cabin heater, carby preheater for cold starts, CHT monitored on all cylinders.Also comes with a 12 volt refueling pump on trolley. PRICE $60,000 CONTACT Graham Barrington 0400 144 282

17 Airframe Hours, 17 Engine Hours, Bristell 2017 Bristell - 17 hours only as new - under warranty suit new buyer - configured for a flying school. Too many options to list, auto pilot, Garmin G5, transponder, Dual brakes, autopilot control panel. PRICE $180,000 CONTACT JeffryWhite 0447 540 268

TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR ADVERTISING ONLINE AND IN THE MAGAZINE To advertise online and in Sport Pilot magazine Visit: www.aviationclassifieds.com.au/

| Call: (02) 6280 4700

|

Email: sales@aviationclassifieds.com.au

Advertising rates start at $33 (incl GST) per month for online advertising. You can include up to 5 photos and 1000 words of text online. Advertising rates include an ad in Sport Pilot Magazine, which is limited to one photo and 50 words. Advertisers are responsible for cancelling their ad. No refunds will be issued for ads where the advertiser sells a product and fails to cancel their ad. RAAus offers advertisers the opportunity to auto-renew ads, it is an advertisers responsibility to turn off this feature. The deadline for ads to appear in Sport Pilot is the 15th of the month prior to the cover date of the issue. The Aviation Classifieds section in Sport Pilot is subsidised by RAAus and its members and is for non-commercial sales only. As such, even though your ad is guaranteed to be online, inclusion in the magazine will be at the discretion of the Editor. Before purchasing any aircraft/engines/equipment which appears in the Aviation Classifieds, make sure the technical details and registration information is correct for that type and model of aircraft/engine/equipment. RAAus and Stampils P/L take NO responsibility for the technical accuracy of the details and information attached to each ad online and in Sport Pilot magazine and may not be able to transfer the aircraft purchase. RAAus also reserves the right to edit or delete advertisements deemed inappropriate or misleading. RAAus and Stampils P/L reserve the right to withdraw from publication, without refund, any ad deemed unsuitable, including low quality or faulty images. Neither RAAus nor Stampils P/L accepts responsibility for advertising errors or omissions. Advertisers are also responsible for assessing both the integrity of potential buyers and the risks which attend online transactions. The long standing principle of caveat emptor (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caveat_emptor) applies. Since phishing scammers may contact advertisers using the RAAus website, you are strongly encouraged to familiarise yourself with the ACCC’s guidelines for recognising and guarding against online scammers (https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/consumer-protection/protecting-yourself-from-scams). 62 / SPORT PILOT


SAFETY Robust construction and four point safety harness STRENGTH Built like a light G.A. aircraft, solid & all metal Large cockpit width with adjustable seating SIZE

Don’t just wing it!

• Aircraft – Fixed & Rotary Wing

• Hangar & Airport Buildings • Hangarkeeper’s Liability • Aviation Business Insurance • UAV’s & Drones

. .

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BRUMBY AIRCRAFT AUSTRALIA 112 AIRPORT ROAD, COWRA AIRPORT NSW 2794 www.billowen.com.au | broker@billowen.com.au

TEL: +61 2 6341 1635 | FAX: +61 2 6341 1636 EMAIL: info@brumbyaircraft.com.au WEB: www.brumbyaircraft.com.au

07 4052 1000

AVIATION INSURANCE

EXPERIENCED AVIATION INSURANCE SPECIALISTS Stewart & Gladys Smith would like to assist with your Fixed Wing, Helicopter, Hangarkeepers and Public Liability needs. We have recently been joined by Grant Gerni who not only knows aviation but also excellently handles all other types of business and personal insurances. Our team is friendly & helpful to deal with and we normally obtain for you multiple competitive quotes from all suitable insurers. We service clients in all parts of Australia! WE’RE ON YOUR SIDE

Cerni Kalser Insurance Pty Ltd t/a Insure Planes

Phone: 03 9816 3264 Email: aviation@insureplanes.com.au Web: www.insureplanes.com.au Stewart Smith 0433 278 700 Gladys Smith 0425 759 322 Grant Cerni 0427 779 649

AVIATION FINANCE

Australian Commercial Credit Pty Ltd in affiliation with Phillips Basile Equipment Finance Pty Ltd may be able to assist with funds from prime lenders. Good bank fixed rates, normally over 5 years with security over only the plane. Ring Stewart Smith for an obligation free initial discussion. WE’RE ON YOUR SIDE

63 / SPORT PILOT


CAGIT

CAGIT’s Pingelly holiday over

A

FTER being firmly wedged in Pingelly W.A for several months, the Come And Get It Trophy has finally made it to the east coast again. And because there are a lot of flyers on that side of the country, expect it to flit around a lot over the next few months. Rod Ward promenaded into Pingelly in April and hoisted the trophy from Tony Messenger’s hands and flew it to Tyabb in Victoria. He won’t have it long by the sound of it. The little birds say that, even as this magazine went to the printers, someone from Tasmania was tracking to Tyabb to take the trophy southwards. More news on that next time. If you, or your crew, are contemplating a highspeed heist of recreational aviation’s most coveted prize, it’s best to keep up-to-date with its latest location by checking the CAGIT hunter’s Facebook page, administered by Dexter Burkill, Peter Zweck and David Carroll. Facebook.com/ cagithunters.

Rod Ward about to set sail with CAGIT Facebook

WHERE IS

CAGIT?

Rod (left) taking possession of the trophy from Tony Messenger Facebook 64 / SPORT PILOT


QU IZ

A QUESTION OR TWO BY OUR NE W QUIZMA STER

A pilot rolls into a left turn. Considering the up-going aileron, does the centre of pressure (CofP) ahead of the aileron move along the cord line? A. Yes, the CofP moves forward. B. Yes, the CofP moves aft. C. No, the CofP does not change position unless the aerofoil angle of attack changes. D. No, the CofP is fixed by the aerofoil shape.

2

At the passage of a cold front in the southern hemisphere, which of the following typically depicts the wind change? A. The wind speed drops. B. The wind direction veers. C. The wind direction backs. D. The wind speed increases.

3

During a climb the elevator trim tab electric motor suffers a runaway condition and jams the trim tab so it is fully down below the elevator trailing edge. This is likely to: A. Cause the elevator to pitch up. B. Cause the elevator to pitch down. C. Not cause an elevator angle change. D. Affect the trim in level flight at cruise power but not on approach at reduced speed.

4

A pilot is carrying out a cross country flight that will cover 261 nms. His heading is 251 magnetic and he is making good a track of 241 Magnetic. The altimeter subscale is set for the QNH at his departure airfield. If the subscale is not adjusted for the local QNH at his destination prior to arrival there, what would his altimeter be expected to read. A. Higher than it should. B. Lower than it should. C. Correctly. D. It depends on the QFE.

5 A. B. C. D.

6 A. B. C. D.

An aeroplane is spinning. What is happening to the wings’ airflows? Outer wing stalled, inner wing less stalled. Inner wing more deeply stalled, outer wing less stalled. Both wings are equally stalled. Neither wing is stalled. A front passes across an airfield. Which of the following options would be the best clue as to the time of the actual passage of the frontal surface? The rain intensifies. The clouds clear. The wind backs. The temperature starts to fall. 1.B 2.C 3.A 4.A 5.B 6.C

1

ANSWERS

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65 / SPORT PILOT

Sling

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6

5


HAP PY L A ND IN G S

A smile from ear to ear BY BRYC E ROBIN SON

I

have been a student at Jindabyne Central School for the past 10 years, so I had always known there was a local airfield. However I didn’t know there was a flight school based there. So when I found out, I went and signed up, Over the past three months I have been learning to fly with Alpine Aviation and on January 20 I went for my first solo flight. When you think about it, after only three months I was flying a plane by myself, yet I still can’t drive by myself. I was lucky enough to have gone for my first solo on a picture perfect day when there was not a breath of wind and the sun was shining over the lake. Before I went off alone, my instructor Martin (CFI at Alpine Aviation) and I went for a pre-solo check flight to make sure I wasn’t doing anything wrong. After doing three circuits, we made a full stop landing and Martin gave me the choice to go by myself if I felt confident enough. I took him up on it, so he jumped out and off I went. Taxiing to the start of the runway, I was quite nervous but, after my checks, I felt pretty confident. I took off and did a single circuit before landing and returning to the hangar. A big smile stretched from one ear to the other as I climbed out of the Jabiru, knowing I had just achieved the milestone of my first ever solo. With the constant support from my instructor, the generous support of the Jindabyne Aero Club and all the connections I have made through my training, I have been able to get to where I am today in no time at all, I thank everyone who has guided me over the past three months and I want to say an extremely big thank you to Martin Hughes for all the time he spent with me and for always being so patient, inclusive and dedicated in the way he teaches. I couldn’t ask for a better teacher and I wouldn’t be where I am without him.

Martin (left) congratulating Bryce onhis milestone day

SEND IN YOUR STORIES Got an aviation moment you’d love to share? Your kids or maybe your club get together? Send a photo as a jpeg attachment and a short explanation to editor@sportpilot.net.au

www.airparkgoolwa.com.au 66 / SPORT PILOT


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68 / SPORT PILOT


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